Of Troubled Minds and Stolen Pensieves
by Canimal
Summary: A girl finds herself in possession of Severus Snape's heavily guarded pensieve. What's a girl to do when she finds herself trapped inside the memories of the surly professor with the wizard himself? A journey full of past loves and past mistakes PreHBP
1. Prologue

Prologue

There was a crash in the downstairs study. The man in the bedroom upstairs awoke with a start. He was certain he heard something, although the house was now silent once again. His once black hair had long ago turned white, but his hearing was as sharp as ever. If anything he felt he could hear much better in his old age than in his youth.

He turned to look at the woman lying next to him. She obviously had not been disturbed by anything. He hesitated to wake her; she had been more tired lately than usual. Her hair was streaked with gray. Her face, which had once been young and beautiful, was now old and wrinkled. In the midst of all of this, he stopped to allow himself a small smile. She was older, but his wife had never looked more beautiful to him. Every line on her face told a story. The laugh lines bespoke of a long, happy marriage filled with laughter and warmth. Worry lines reminded him of all of the times she had been afraid that he would not be coming home to her or the intense worries she had about the safety of her children. She had long ago stopped trying to cover up the gray hairs with potions. For that he was thankful. Each strand reminded him of the intense patience she had for all of the people in her life. When they were younger, she would yell at him, "Your children are driving me crazy! My hair will be whiter than Dumbledore's by next week!" Yes, his children inherited several of his own qualities, but they had also picked up much of their mother's personality. He was always quick to counter her with the reminder that his children were half hers as well.

Crash! There it was again. He was not mistaken this time. Quickly, but carefully getting out of his bed, he reached for the wand that was lying on the bedside table. Even though it had been years since he had felt that his or his family's lives were in real danger, he stayed ever ready and vigilant for the worst. He checked on his wife. She was still sleeping, and hopefully would remain that way.

He moved with great stealth out of the door to his and his wife's sleeping chambers. The large manor that held so many horrible memories from his own childhood had long ago been transformed into the loving, warm family home he used to spend hours wishing for. But now with the threat of someone or something entering into his precious home had turned it once again into the cold, sterile manor of his youth. There had been an abundance of fear and anxiety in the house of his ancestors.

There was a small ray of light extending into the corridor from underneath the door to his study. He paused a moment to consider what any potential prowler might be interested in in this particular room. It contained his most prized volumes of potions literature, but little else of anything more than personal value. He heard the soft sound of one cursing under their breath followed by an obvious attempt to pick up whatever had been dropped within. Cautiously, remembering the years he spent skulking around in dark alleys and corridors, he silently opened the door a crack.

A breath he did not even realize he had been holding immediately released from him. Crouched on the floor next to his curio cupboard was a small figure he knew very well. The shock of dark, raven hair could only belong to a Snape. He opened the door completely and moved swiftly to stand inside the frame. Crossing his arms and scowling as he did in his younger days, the man, despite his elderly appearance was every bit the same as the professor he had been long ago.

The young girl, hardly older than sixteen jumped to her feet with a squeak. She turned around swiftly to see who had caught her. Upon seeing the form of Severus Snape, she looked all at once relieved and frightened. She apparently was not accustomed to seeing the scowling look he had on his face.

"May I ask what it is that you find so fascinating at such a late hour, Muirgen?" he asked of the nervous young girl.

"I was just… I was just…" she stammered.

He raised a single eyebrow at her, a look that had reduced many first years to tears.

"I do not believe I can remember a time when you have ever been this speechless," he replied sardonically.

"I am very sorry, Grandfather," she managed to say, apparently recovering from the shock of finding herself no longer alone. "I was having trouble sleeping."

"So you immediately decided to come downstairs into my private study? For what reason? I assure you it would be most difficult to find sleep in here."

Muirgen shifted uncomfortably under the watchful gaze of her grandfather. She was unused to seeing her grandfather upset. According to her aunt, there was a time when he used to lose his temper at the drop of a hat. Her own grandmother had often laughed thinking about the times he had given detentions to some poor unsuspecting Gryffindor or Hufflepuff after they had unintentionally allowed their shoes to squeak on the stone floors of Hogwarts Castle. To her benefit, Muirgen had entered the world years after Severus Snape had lost his infamous short fuse and acerbic mouth. There were times however, times she had rarely seen, when he had yelled at one of his own children or grandchildren. Because she had never been on this side of his temper, she felt frightened for the first time in the presence of her grandfather.

"Forget it, Muirgen," he sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "There is really no reason why you would be in here, so I will not listen to your excuse. Please just go back up to your room quietly so you do not disturb your grandmother."

He turned to leave towards the door. Muirgen thrust a tiny box she had been holding onto a bookcase beside her. The sound of it hitting the solid wood case stopped Severus is in his tracks. Abruptly he turned back around to face his granddaughter. His sharp hearing had not missed her attempt to conceal her real reason for being in his study in the middle of the night. With almost cat-like grace, he was at her side without a moment's thought. Muirgen's hand had hardly left the box when he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Grandfather…" she stammered.

He saw what it was she had been trying to hide… his pensieve. Years ago when he had caught Harry Potter inside his pensieve during an Occulmency lesson he swore never to let another break into his again. He had a small wooden box constructed to hold the pensieve and it always had an intricate locking spell on it. To be able to break into the box was virtually impossible.

Muirgen had a startled look on her face as he reached past her with his free hand to pick up his pensieve box. The lock had been picked by magical means. There were very few wizards capable of breaking through any of Severus Snape's defenses. He sighed as he took one more look at his granddaughter. Muirgen Snape had been in trouble from the day she was born. She had stumbled into his private stores of potion ingredients at the tender age of four. It had taken her no time once she returned from her first year at Hogwarts to break into every locked room and cupboard in the entire Snape manor. Muggle or magical did not matter to her. She could pick all those locks. Now that she had just finished her fifth year she was into almost everything.

"What are you doing with this?" he demanded a little louder than he had anticipated.

"I… I…"

"For a girl who usually had more than enough to say and perhaps too much, you certainly are having a hard time putting sentences together. You are of the age now that you understand that what one wishes to keep private should be left private!"

"I know… it's just that…"

"Do you know how wrong it is to steal someone else's pensieve!"

"Yes, I do. I only wanted to find out if what some of my schoolmates were saying was true," she blurted out, and immediately wished she had not.

He dropped her wrist from his grasp.

"What did you hear?"

It had been his fervent hope that none of his grandchildren would ever learn of his past. His children knew; his older children were there for much of the parts he wished he could change. Long ago the decision was made to try to keep the truth of their grandfather's involvement with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters a secret from the children of his children. The individual members of the Snape family understood the importance of not talking about what happened. He had not considered, or rather not allowed himself to consider the possibility, that others outside of the family would tell.

"What have you heard?" he asked in a small, quiet tone.

"Some of the Slytherins told me that… that you once served the Dark Lord," she replied meekly. "I thought that if I could find your pensieve and see what happened I would be able to tell them that they were mistaken."

Severus sighed a deep, dejected sigh. Of course she would find out that her classmates had been correct. He knew that it would be impossible, as well as wrong, to hide the truth from her now. His large mahogany desk provided an ideal place to sit. Muirgen hovered around him unnervingly.

"The truth is, Muirgen," he began, but stopped abruptly. He was having difficulty finding the right place to start or the right words to use. There was so much that he did not want to tell her, but he knew that if he began he would have to disclose a lot of private information. "This will explain it all better."

He reached across his desk to retrieve the pensieve box he had unceremoniously dropped earlier.

"What are you doing?" Muirgen asked tentatively.

He took her hand and pulled her towards him and the now open pensieve. In no time at all they were both falling into the darkness that would take her to the answers she needed. As with any story, he knew he had to start at the beginning, the day everything started to change for him.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One:

"Severus, if you are not down here by the time I count to three I swear to all that is magical I will drag you down by your hair!"

His signature smirk, the one that he would use years later to terrorize young Hogwarts students in the dungeons, crept across his face. She had been yelling at him from the downstairs of their family home for the past ten minutes.

"ONE!" She shouted from downstairs, a shout that terrified the house elves, often sending them running.

Severus chuckled to himself. No, she was not going to win that easily.

"TWO!" Any other member of the family, or even the wizarding world for that matter, would be shaking at the thought of Speranza Snape yelling at them. Young Severus, on the other hand, had spent the last seventeen years of his life learning her weaknesses. They were difficult to find, but one undeniable weak spot she had was… him.

"THREE!"

Leisurely he laid himself back down on his newly made bed. Flottie, the house elf in charge of ensuring that his bedchambers were clean each morning, knew what the next few moments held. She hurriedly finished picking up the towels he had discarded after his morning shower, careful not to trip over his packed school trunk in the middle of the room. Before Speranza had a chance to open the door, Flottie snapped her fingers to Disapparate to the laundry room.

"Severus Snape, I told you to be downstairs already with your trunk packed!" Speranza screamed as she threw the door open. "There is only an hour before the Hogwarts Express leaves the station!"

Speranza was not his mother, although it was difficult to tell if one did not know her. Ten years older than him, Severus' sister took her responsibility of watching after her younger siblings seriously.

"Sidonius is already standing by the fireplace waiting to Floo there!" She spat at her younger brother.

"I am glad to hear that, but as you can see, I am not Sidonius," Severus retorted, but in a teasing manner. It was difficult for him to ever be truly upset with his beloved sister.

"And won't it be terribly embarrassing when Sidonius, a little first year, behaves more like an adult than his seventh year brother?" She glared at him, but against her better wishes, she let a smile slip.

Speranza and Severus had always been close, closer to each other than they were to any of their other siblings. Severus was born after ten years of their mother believing she would never be able to have another child. It had been a shock to the entire family to find out she was pregnant with her fifth child, fourth son. Already in her late forties by the time he was born, Severus' mother paid very little attention to the child. Passed off to the arms of a house elf only minutes after his birth, if it had not been for the compassionate qualities of his ten-year-old sister, he would have easily escaped the family's view.

Speranza had been by his side from the moment he was born. She sang lullabies to help him sleep as a child. She tucked him into his bed every night faithfully until he was fourteen, and Severus believed he was too old for that kind of treatment. Secretly he knew that three years later, she would continue to sneak into his bedroom when she thought he was asleep to readjust his bedcovers. When Severus returned home from Hogwarts unhappy about the arrogant Gryffindor trio, she was there to calm him down. When their parents seemed to forget he even existed, she was there to praise his high marks and fawn over his Quidditch successes. Severus had never been close to either of his parents. Speranza had always been the parent figure in his life.

Severus feared that would all change when at six years old, his mother had another son, _precious, beloved_ Sidonius. Mother Snape had apparently regained her lost maternal instincts when it came to welcoming his younger brother into the world. Everyone loved Sidonius. From the moment he was born, the world Severus' parents had closed to him, the world of their love, opened freely to the chubby chestnut-haired baby. Speranza had not left him for the new child, as he secretly feared she would. She loved him, but never with the intensity that she loved her _Russie_.

"Mother put me in charge of taking you two to the station. I cannot do that, however, if you refuse to descend the stairs to the kitchens!"

"I am ready to go, sister dear," Severus replied sardonically. "I am simply in no hurry to go back to school."

"It is not because of those Gryffindor boys again, is it?" she asked sympathetically.

Severus picked up his trunk to carry it downstairs. Something in his face gave away his answer before his mouth did.

"Don't let them get to you like that, Russie. They should never have so much power over you." She waved her wand, making his trunk lighter than a feather. Severus was grateful. He knew that if he had to carry that full trunk the entire way to the Hogwarts Express, he was not sure his back would have ever fully recovered from the strain.

Just as Speranza said earlier, Sidonius was indeed standing anxiously by the large fireplace in the kitchens. He was geared up to enter his first year at Hogwarts. While Severus was not as close to him as he was to their sister, he had always tried to be the best big brother he could be. He had done all he could to prepare him for his first year. He spoke incessantly of wanting the Sorting Hat to put him in Slytherin, just like his big brother. Severus was not sure if he meant himself or their three older brothers, Simon, Schuyler, or Sterne. They had all been sorted in to Slytherin, as had their father. Mother and Speranza had followed the lead of nearly every other female in our family by being sorted in to Ravenclaw.

"Are you ready, Severus?" Sidonius asked impatiently. He began to slowly and stubbornly pull his oversized trunk in to the fireplace. Speranza laughed at him, but then turned to wave her wand. His trunk shrunk to the size of a small shoebox and it too was lighter than a feather.

"Severus will show you how to enlarge it back when you get to Hogwarts," Speranza said, tousling the unkempt chestnut hair of their little brother. He looked almost nothing like a Snape, favoring their mother's family, the Benoits, instead. "Do you have the Floo powder, Sid?"

"Right here," he showed her a grubby hand full of Floo powder.

"Very good," she beamed at the boy. "Now be certain you speak _very_ clearly… Platform nine and three quarters."

"Right," He stepped in to the fireplace with the glowing green flames. "Platform nine and three quarters!"

With a _Whoosh_ he disappeared in the flames. He had always been uneasy about traveling by Floo powder, but Speranza always calmed him down before he traveled.

"I probably should have gone before him," she turned to Severus with a sigh. "There is no telling how much trouble he could find himself in before I get there." They both chuckled at the thought. Sidonius always managed to find himself in trouble.

"Go on ahead," Severus suggested. "I will be right behind you."

"You better be," she warned as she disappeared in the green flames.

Severus slowly followed his sister into the fireplace. It was his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. He should have been excited, but he was anything but. The events of the previous year made him wary about returning to the castle. Tension between he and Sirius Black had gotten much worse. That was the year he convinced him to follow Remus Lupin into the Whomping Willow. If it had not been for James Potter… well, Severus certainly did not like to think of that.

"Platform nine and three quarters!" He shouted, instantly swept into the whirling and swirling of Floo travel.

Speranza was busy dusting her younger brother off when Severus entered the bustling platform. Sidonius was covered from head to foot in dark, gray soot.

"Honestly, Sidonius, you really should practice Floo travel a little more," Speranza tsked. "There will not always be a kind wizard to help you out of the grate." She smiled at the young wizard employed by the station to help the Floo travelers. His eyes lingered on his sister a little longer than Severus was comfortable with, but he said nothing.

Severus stepped away from the Floo station to take a good look at his surroundings. With only forty-five minutes left until the departure the platform was already crowded with a large number of the wizarding families of Britain.

"Now be sure to point her out to me, Severus," his sister said quietly.

"What?" He had not heard her.

""Point out Ursula to me when you see her," Speranza winked at him.

At that moment Severus wished he did not always feel the need to share the details of his personal life with his sister. Earlier in the summer, when he returned home from Hogwarts, he let it slip that he had fallen for a young lady from Ravenclaw House.

Ursula Albrecht and Severus had been paired as partners in their Advanced Potions class. She had an amazing talent for potions, so their professor felt they would complement each other well. He spent hours talking about her with his sister. Speranza was thrilled to find her little brother interested in a girl. She had been afraid for a long time that he would be to shy to try to have a relationship with a girl.

He scanned the faces of the crowd. There she was. Suddenly he found his palms damp and his breathing hastened. Silly how a girl can affect a young man so.

"She's right over there," He pointed to the spot where Ursula was standing by an entrance to the train.

"Well, she certainly is adorable," Speranza gushed.

Against his better wishes, Severus let a small blush creep up his cheeks. Yes, Ursula was beautiful. A petite girl, woman, she was only five feet two, an entire foot shorter than the young man who had an interest in her. Her hair was a wavy, russet color that she always wore in a loose knot at the back of her head. She rarely let her waist-length hair down. Although he was standing too far to see them properly, he knew her eyes were a deep blue.

"Are those her parents?" Speranza motioned to the man and woman standing around her. They were hugging, kissing and appeared to be saying goodbye. Certainly it was obvious who they were.

"Of course those are her parents," He snapped, frustrated with his sister's impertinence. She knew the right buttons to push to embarrass him.

"Is that Minister Albrecht?" she raised a single eyebrow at her brother.

"Yes," he muttered.

"She is the daughter of the Minister of Magic?" She teased. "You certainly set your sights high, Russie."

"Please don't call me that," he said, searching the area to be sure no one else heard her.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she laughed in a whisper. "I forget you have a certain image to uphold. Certainly being called _Russie_ would tarnish it."

Severus ignored both hers and Sidonius' snickers. It was starting to get late. He needed to put his trunk on the train. Besides he knew that if he hurried he might be able to say hello to Ursula before she disappeared into the compartments of the Hogwarts Express.

"Severus!" He had to remind himself to breathe. She had spoken to him.

"Hello, Ursula," He said in a shaky voice he could do nothing to disguise.

"How are you?" She had a calm manner of speaking in most occasions. He assumed it had something to do with always being expected to act like an adult around her father's Ministry officials. Today, however, he thought he heard her rarely used nervous laughter.

"I am doing well, thank you, Ursula," It was getting harder for him to remain calm. She always had that affect on the young wizard.

"Oh, forgive me!" She said anxiously. "These are my parents, Severus."

The Minister of Magic and his wife, whom Ursula resembled no doubt, eyed him with interest. Mrs. Albrecht gave him a warm smile, temporarily calming him down. It was hard enough to meet a girl's parents, though he had to admit he had never had the experience until then, but it was most difficult when the father was the Minister of Magic. He must have let his nervousness show. Minister Albrecht stopped eying him suspiciously. He, too, gave the young wizard a warm smile and clapped him on the shoulder.

"It is nice to meet you, Mr. Snape," the Minister joyfully spoke.

"Thank you, sir. It is my pleasure to finally meet you, Minister Albrecht. And Mrs. Albrecht, of course." It is still a mystery to him this day how he managed to keep himself on both feet at that moment. He was nervous enough that he desperately wanted to faint.

"Ursula spoke of your impressive potion-making skills, Severus," Mrs. Albrecht said kindly.

Severus looked up at Ursula who hid her reddened face from his view.

"Thank you, Mrs. Albrecht. Ursula too impressed me with her potion skills," He answered, feeling foolish the moment the words exited his mouth. Had he really just said that? Surely there was something else he could have said.

"There you are, Severus," His sister thankfully interrupted the highly embarrassing situation. Both of Ursula's parents had been smiling at him, knowingly. Knowing exactly how much he had been impressed by Ursula's _potion skills._ "Sidonius is already on the train. He ran in to the youngest Malfoy. What's her name again?"

"Lucinda," He said little above a whisper.

"That's right. She's a precious little thing. Nothing like the rest of her family," Speranza knew exactly what she was doing. She was pretending she had not seen the Albrechts, so she could pretend she did not know he was speaking to Ursula's parents. "Oh, excuse me!" She 'noticed' the three people standing around her brother.

"Speranza, this is Minister and Mrs. Albrecht, and their daughter Ursula," Severus said. "This is my older sister Speranza Snape."

"It's lovely to meet you," Speranza said, putting her best debutante, high-society manner on. She was stalling, giving him time alone with Ursula.

"Did you have an enjoyable break?" Ursula asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I did, thank you," Severus hated the formality that plagued them when they spoke. The previous year they could spend hours speaking of potions in relative ease. Once the subject became anything remotely personal, they both remembered their shy natures.

"My father took us to America with him when he went to the International Magical Conference. Mum and I visited the magical canyons of West Texas. It was very interesting. One of the mages there showed me how to brew a special rattlesnake potion," The mention of potions brought a sense of ease to the two of them. "I am going to speak with Professor Grebe to see if we can work on it as a special project. I mean, that is, if you and I are both partners again this year." She blushed.

"That sounds very interesting," He almost choked on his words with nerves. "It might make a good end-of-year project."

Their conversation was halted by the signal of the Hogwarts Express. There were only ten minutes left until the train was to leave the station.

"I should get my trunk on the train," Ursula said quietly.

"Yeah…" He did not know what else to say.

Speranza finished speaking with the Minister and his wife. She turned to her brother, her smile not hiding the obvious tears in her eyes.

"You should get on the train, Severus," she said, taking a hold of his arm. "There is another year of Hogwarts ahead of you."

She tried to smile, but he knew September the first was always difficult for her. Severus never asked her what she did during the ten months he spent at Hogwarts. Something told him that life was not happy for her when he was away, but he never had the courage to ask for certain. At the age of twenty-seven, his sister was already considered an old maid by aristocratic wizarding standards. She was beautiful and one of the most talented witches he had ever known, but she had never married. He knew that although their father loved her dearly, he had always been disappointed that she turned down every proposal of marriage she ever received. When she was twenty-five and unmarried, he gave up hope she would ever be, and in a sense, gave up on his daughter completely. Good aristocratic witches married young, produced heirs, and stayed in the manor with the children.

Speranza had too much spirit for that kind of life. When Father gave up on her, she and Severus clung together even more than they already had. They shared their strengths.

"Remember what I told you," she said, wiping a fugitive tear away. "Don't let those boys have so much power over you. I remember the Gryffindors from when I went to school. There is just something about that House. Some of them are quite lovely, but others are arrogant."

"All right, Speranza. I'll try to remember that," he said, reluctantly. No matter how hard he tried in the past, James Potter and Sirius Black had always managed to infuriate him. Remus Lupin could be just as bad given the right circumstances.

"Now give me a kiss and get on that train!" she ordered him in a teasing manner. He looked around to make sure no one was watching.

"Oh, come on, Speranza. I thought we said our goodbyes at the manor."

"What? Are you afraid someone will see you?" she mocked. "Don't worry. Miss Albrecht is already on the train."

"Speranza…"

"Give me a kiss goodbye now or I will tell Sirius Black that you still require warm milk to sleep at night _and_ when you have a nightmare, you still ask me to sing to you."

She smiled at him, and he knew he had to comply. It would be just like her to threaten to seek out Sirius Black and give him even more fuel for his fire of torment. Severus gave her a hasty kiss on the cheek, but she pulled him in to a tight hug.

"Now get on that train!" She laughed. Severus stepped up into the train. "Take care of Sidonius! Keep him out of trouble."

"I will do all that I can," he promised, each of them knowing that he would without a doubt be in trouble before the end of the year.

After one last wave to his dearly loved sister, he retreated to the inside of the scarlet train. He knew his fellow Slytherins had saved him a seat in their compartment. Now it was only a matter of finding the right one.

"Was that your sister, Snape?" came an unwelcome voice behind him. Severus turned to come face to face with Sirius Black and James Potter.

He refused to even answer Black. Severus felt he was not worth his time.

"She is _beautiful_, Snape," Black continued. "Too bad she's _your_ sister. I could think of a few things I would like to do to her if she wasn't."

He started to lunge at him, but a strong hand on his shoulder stopped him in his place.

"He is not worth your time, Severus," his fellow Slytherin Evan Rosier said. "Forget him."

Black began to laugh. Potter merely smirked at him. Severus wanted to curse them both into oblivion.

"Too bad your friend here came to stop you," Potter smirked. "This could have been a lot of fun."

The two Gryffindors turned away from the two Slytherins. They laughed to each other as they walked back to their own compartment towards the front of the train.

"Come on, Severus," Evan said, pulling him down the corridor. "We saved you a seat."

Severus reluctantly followed his friend and housemate to their own compartment. Several other Slytherins were waiting for them. He dropped his trunk and heaved himself into the empty seat by the window. The English countryside was already passing outside the window. He allowed the greenery to hypnotize him. Despite his earlier conversation with Ursula, he was not looking forward to this year. _One more year_, he thought to himself. One more year and he would be free from everyone in Hogwarts.

* * *

"It never fails. Every new year brings in an even more pathetic group of first years," Lucien Malfoy sighed.

Lucien was the third son of Lord Julian Malfoy, one of the most powerful wizards in the entire world. His power did not lie within the wand or even the cauldron. To be honest, Julian's magic skills were adequately average. His power resided within his contacts. Those contacts were formidable to say the least. Luca, his heir, and Lucius, the one who would in years to come cause so many problems for wizarding Britain, had already left Hogwarts. Lucien would never amount to anything unusual. He lived a short, some would say wasted life. Before five years had passed of him leaving Hogwarts he was dead.

"Ahh, Lucien, stop it. They're precious… at least for now," Narcissa Black, his brother's fiancé responded. She let out a quiet, utterly annoying giggle.

Severus shifted in his seat uncomfortably. This was to be his seventh Sorting ceremony to sit through in his years as a student at Hogwarts. If he had remembered how much he detested them when he made the decision to take the Potions master position, he might have turned it down.

"You know, Narcissa, giggling is not exactly a Slytherin trait," teased Evan Rosier, who was seated to Severus' right. "What would the blasted Gryffindors think if they heard you giggle like a school girl?"

"I am a school girl!" retorted Narcissa before she and the rest of their group burst into laughter. "Besides, what do I care what the 'blasted Gryffindors' think? Nothing but a bunch of arrogant troublemakers. Chivalry, my arse."

"I don't know, Narcissa. There are a few that I wouldn't mind having a go with," replied Cordelia Lestrange. "Now Sirius Black… I wouldn't mind waking up in the middle of the night to find that one in my bed."

The Slytherin seventh year girls giggled, but the boys as well as Narcissa, Black's cousin, Severus especially, glared at Cordelia. It was no secret that she had always had a taste for the forbidden fruit, but was it really necessary to bring it up at a time where food was about to be served? Severus shot her an extra dirty glare before they heard McGonagall announce the beginning of the sorting.

"Oh, look at your little sister, Lucien!" Narcissa said. "She is so adorable. She will be in Slytherin, won't she?"

"What a question to ask!" roared Lucien in a whisper so as not to disturb the proceedings. "Of course Lucinda will be in Slytherin! She is a _Malfoy_ after all."

Severus chuckled to himself at his friend's outburst. It was no secret to the rest of the British wizarding aristocracy that Lucy Malfoy was a bit… strange. Severus had only met her on a few previous occasions when he visited Malfoy Manor. She was a pleasant enough girl, but it was obvious she was unlike the rest of her family. Bright, happy, and full of love and concern for every creature that she met, Lucy was indeed unlike her cold, distant relatives.

"Malfoy, Lucinda!" Professor McGonagall bellowed.

A small girl with white-blonde hair walked confidently to the stool with the Sorting Hat. She seemed a bit nervous, but that was to be expected as a first year.

"Three galleons says that Miss Malfoy over there becomes a Ravenclaw," Evan said to the guys at the table.

"Ravenclaw? I'd say more along the lines of a Hufflepuff," answered Daniel Avery.

The Ravenclaw comment had upset Lucien, but his anger was nothing then as it was when Avery made his Hufflepuff comment.

"She is a Malfoy! Of course she will be in Slytherin!" insisted Lucien, his pale face flushing with anger.

"Oh, all you stop it," Severus said, his voice dripping with annoyance. "Lucien is right. We all _know _where his sister will be sorted…"

Lucien calmed down considerably and nodded his head.

"Gryffindor," he finished.

Severus had to duck quickly. Lucien threw his spoon at him, but it narrowly missed his head. It went over him and landed somewhere in the Ravenclaws.

"SLYTHERIN!" The Sorting Hat shrieked across the hall. Remembering themselves, the seventh years calmly clapped for their newest House member.

Lucy Malfoy's face turned even paler than it already was as she trekked towards her new House table. She was shaking, and looked to be on the verge of tears. As she passed by her elder brother, she lowered her eyes.

"Lucy," Lucien said, stopping his sister with his arm. "You have made the family proud. Welcome to Slytherin."

"Thank you," she squeaked out before rushing to sit in an empty seat.

Narcissa glared at Lucien before hitting him on his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" he demanded.

"You could have been a little nicer to your sister," Narcissa replied, fuming.

"Nicer? What are you talking about, woman! I welcomed her, didn't I?"

"She was about to cry! Shouldn't you be her big brother and try to comfort her?"

"Cry? What could she _possibly_ have to cry about? She was sorted in to Slytherin, as she was supposed to. If anything, she is _relieved_ and that is why she is about to cry."

Severus turned his attentions back to the sorting. Lucien and Narcissa fought at least once a day; it was nothing new to see them do it again. One would almost think that it was Lucien, and not Lucius that Narcissa was preparing to marry.

"Snape, Sidonius!"

Severus' younger brother walked assertively to the Sorting Hat. He had asked dozens of times that summer just what the Sorting Ceremony would entail. Never wanting to be one of those brothers that lie to their siblings, he told him the truth. He spoke incessantly about what he would do to the hat if it did not place him in Slytherin.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Sidonius smirked, and jumped off the stool. He walked self-assuredly over to the Slytherin table. Severus' friends were congratulating him, but he did not care.

"I'm a Slytherin too, Sev!" Sidonius said excitedly as he passed his brother.

"Aww, he is so adorable!" Cordelia exclaimed.

"Oh, look Lucien, Severus!" Narcissa pointed to their two siblings who were seated side by side. "Would it not be absolutely charming if your brother and your sister ended up together?"

"Gods, Narcissa, they are only eleven years old!" Lucien reminded her.

"That does not mean they can't fall in love," she replied. "Besides it seems like the Snapes and Malfoys are destined to be together. Look at Luca and Speranza…"

"Wait, what?" Severus asked, suddenly joining in the conversation. "What about Speranza?"

"Don't tell me you don't know, Severus," Narcissa said.

"Don't know what!" he demanded.

"Your sister is finally getting married," added Cordelia.

Speranza had not said a word about this to him before he left. Surely if it were true she would have said something?

"Your father and my father signed a marriage contract," explained Lucien. "My older brother Luca is going to marry Speranza."

But she _hated_ Luca Malfoy.

"When did this come about?" Severus was furious but tried to hide it in his voice.

"Come on, Severus, dear boy," Lucien said jovially as he slapped Severus' back. "You know my brother has wanted to marry your sister since their years at Hogwarts. Luca must have proposed to her at least a dozen times."

Severus was beyond furious. Of course Speranza had said 'no' to Luca Malfoy! He was nothing but an alcoholic, womanizing dark wizard! It was no secret where his loyalties lay… Voldemort. He would sell his own soul just for an extra bit of power. And his beautiful sister was about to be forced to marry him.

"After her last rejection last April, Luca spoke with Father and Father spoke with your father. Lord Snape was just as furious about her rejection as Father was. They spoke for quite a while. Finally it was decided that they would sign a marriage contract forcing them to get married," Lucien continued to explain. "I believe their 'official' wedding day is some time next week. They are going to have a quiet ceremony at Malfoy Manor."

Severus was sickened. His sister a Malfoy? He never thought he would see the day. Of course his eldest brother Sterne married a Malfoy cousin ten years earlier. He never thought much of Sterne. He was the eldest, so naturally he had to have a bit of respect for him. An eighteen-year age difference was their biggest hurdle in creating a relationship. Severus wanted to look up to him, but he on no account gave him a chance.

"Severus," Cordelia lightly kicked his shin under the table.

"What?" he looked up at her worried face.

"I have been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes," she said, concerned. "We have to show the first years their dormitories."

"Oh, right. Prefect duties… I forgot."

The pleasure of accompanying the new first years to the Slytherin dormitories usually fell to one of the newly appointed fifth year prefects. This year, however, the only prefects who did not have to speak with Professor Grunnion, their Head of house, were Cordelia and Severus. Normally spending any amount of time with his fellow seventh year prefect made him uncomfortable.

"…And the girls' dormitory is around that corner," Severus announced to the awed first years. "Your belongings should already have been taken up. I suggest that you get to bed early. The first day of classes is always difficult."

The Slytherin first years went to their respective rooms excitedly. Sidonius came back into the common room a few moments later.

"Severus," he said animatedly. "This is much better than I thought it was going to be! I already like being a Slytherin!"

Severus smiled at the young boy in front of him. He could be trouble at times, but he, like everyone else who had ever met him, fell under his spell.

"Welcome to Slytherin House, Sidonius," said Cordelia. "Are you excited to be in the same house as your big brother?"

"Of course!" Sidonius answered, surprising him with a hug. "Of all of my brothers, I like Severus the best. He showed me how to make a potion that would turn our neighbor's cat blue!"

"Did he really?" Cordelia asked, raising an eyebrow at Severus.

"Yeah, but then Father found out and we got into trouble," he answered. "I should go to bed. Good night, Miss Lestrange."

"Oh, please call me Cordelia," she smiled at him.

"Okay… Good night Cordelia. Good night Severus."

"Good night," Cordelia and Severus said in unison.

The rest of Slytherin House had arrived in the common room while Cordelia and Severus were giving the grand tour. They were respectful of the younger students. Most of the inhabitants of the dungeons had gone to bed already. It had been a long day and the next day promised to be even longer. Severus resigned himself to an armchair next to the roaring fire.

"You all right, Severus?" asked Cordelia, who to his displeasure had followed him over to the fireplace.

"I'm fine," he replied.

"Yeah, you look it," she scoffed.

"Excuse me?"

"From the moment you got on the train this morning you have been sulking around. You hardly ate at the feast tonight or said a word. Not once, not even once, did you try to scare a first year," she answered. "It is most unlike you, Severus."

"Oh, and I expect you know all about me!" He did not mean to, but his temper flared. The silence of the common room was broken by his rant.

"Six years of being in all of your classes, practicing with you on the Quidditch team, eating meals with you in the Great Hall, studying with you in the common room, and going with you to _every_ Hogsmeade visit we have ever had has given me a bit of insight into who you are, Severus," she replied in the same raving manner he had spoken to her.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia," he said in little above a whisper. "I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

Of all of the possible reactions she could have had to his confession, Severus least expected what Cordelia Lestrange did next. She looked at him and burst into laughter.

"Honestly, Severus! I never expected an apology from you. Whatever is bothering you _must_ be serious," she teased.

Against his better judgment, he joined her in her laughter.

"But seriously," she said when their laughter ended. "Are you all right? I consider you one of my closest friends. If you want to talk about something, I am here."

"Thanks, Cordelia," he replied, genuinely. He turned his face away from her, and looked into the fire once more. "She never told me she was getting married."

Cordelia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. When he looked up at her, she smiled at him.

"Speranza and I talk about everything. I have never once kept a secret from her, and she couldn't even find the time to tell me she was marrying Malfoy!"

"Maybe she did not know the right way to say it."

"How hard could it be? 'Oh, hey, Severus, guess what? I am marrying into the wizarding world's most pompous family. I'm going to be a Malfoy!' Surely, it could not have been that difficult."

"If her marriage was decided by your father, then she must have known how upset you would have been to hear about it. Perhaps she thought it best to tell you later… when you were away from your father."

"Maybe," he grumbled. Cordelia had a point.

"Send her a letter tonight. Let her know that you found out already. It might make things a bit easier for her."

"Just write a letter? What would I say?"

"I don't know. Just write what you feel and I'll tell you if you should send it or not. Not to be sexist or anything, but you men have a hard time expressing yourselves through words."

She crossed the room to retrieve a quill and some parchment from a desk.

"Here, try a first draft."

_Dear Speranza, _

_Marrying a Malfoy? I'll kill the son of a bitch if he lays one hand on you! _

_Love, Severus _

"Well, umm…" Cordelia said as she read his note. "It's… to the point… but I don't think you should this. Try to be a bit more… eloquent."

"Leave out the son of a bitch part?"

"Yes, without a doubt."

_Dear Speranza, _

_There has always been one thing about you that I have admired above everything else: your honesty. Never once growing up did you try to keep the truth from me. I do not understand why you did not tell me before I left that you were marrying Luca Malfoy. I can only assume that you had sufficient reasoning behind your decision. Please, don't keep the truth from me now. Let me know what is happening in your life. I hope this finds you well._

_Severus _

"How's that?" he asked nervously after handing his second letter to Cordelia.

"_Much_ better. I'll take it up to the Owlery for you," she suggested as she stood up.

"It's late. Aren't you a bit worried about running into Filch?"

"Filch doesn't scare me a bit. I actually think he kind of fancies me a bit. If I run into him, I'll find a way out of a detention."

"Ugh… that was not something I wanted to picture."

She gaped at him.

"Not like that, I promise!" she almost screamed. "I meant I would say I had special Prefect duties to perform this evening and that I would only be gone for a few minutes."

"Yeah, well, if snogging a bit with the grubby caretaker is a required Prefect duty, I am afraid I will just have to hand in my badge to Professor Dumbledore right now," he joked.

"Honestly, Severus! That has to be the most disgusting thing I have ever heard."

"You were the one who said it."

She threw a pillow at him before she went to the common room door.

"Go to bed, Severus. We have McGonagall first thing in the morning."

"All right."

"Good night."

"Good night, Cordelia. Thanks for taking that letter for me."

She smiled, and began to exit the room.

"Oh, and Cordelia?"

She stepped back in.

"Thanks… thanks for talking to me tonight," he blurted out.

"You're welcome, Severus." She smiled and disappeared out the door.

As he walked to the corridor that would take him to the seventh year boy dormitories, Severus could not help but chuckle at the events of that evening. For six years he had regarded Cordelia Lestrange as annoying and impertinent. And yet tonight, for the first time, one of his fellow Slytherins actually took the time to worry about him. Yes, how strange that against his better wishes, he realized that he had a true friend in Cordelia.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Whomever decided that Slytherins and Gryffindors should be in the same class for potions was a damn fool. More time was spent each lesson quenching the fires created by the friction between the students from the separate Houses than actually brewing required potions. Had there been a Neville Longbottom in there, they would have all been reduced to ashes in their first year.

Severus' first double potions lesson with the Gryffindors in his seventh year could be described as nothing less than a nightmare. Determined to do as Speranza instructed him, he planned on ignoring the rants of the 'Gryffindor Trio from Hell'. Sincerely trying to ignore them was a difficult, if not completely impossible task this year.

James Potter had been named Head Boy, and he was so quick to throw that little nugget of fact into Severus' face. They had spent the previous six years fighting tooth and nail for the top marks in their year. Severus managed to surpass him a few of those years, but this year… that did not matter. While he never had anything against the Headmaster, no, in fact he rather admired him, Severus felt for certain that Potter's appointment was a bit biased as far as Albus Dumbledore went. There was always a soft spot for Potter when it came to him.

"Snape! Hey, Snape!" whispered the dreadful Sirius Black from the Gryffindor side of the room. Professor Grebe was nothing like the Potions master Snape turned out to be in later years. He was one, hard of hearing, so conversations in class were rarely stopped.

_Forget him. Don't listen to him. He can only have as much power over you as you allow._

"Snape! So… how do you feel about losing out as Head Boy to my ole mate Jamesy here?" Sirius continued.

Severus said nothing, but he could feel his cheeks flush ever so slightly. Thankfully it was a dark dungeon. His facial expressions were difficult to discern.

"Must have been difficult to face ole Daddy when you lost out, wasn't it?" He could hear Potter and Lupin joining in the snickers. "So that made you what? The first of your family to _not_ be Head Boy?"

"Yeah, your older brothers were all Head Boys, weren't they, Snape?" asked Lupin, the shabby boy whom he knew secretly to be a werewolf.

Severus felt Cordelia, who was sitting next to him, put a reassuring hand on top of his. He had been wringing his hands into a fist under their desk. She gave it a slight squeeze. Slowly he felt himself calm down a bit.

"Hey, Snape, how about that sister of yours?" Black continued with his blasted remarks across the dungeon. "Wasn't she a Head Girl?"

The infernal snickers followed.

"I wonder if she earned her position purely on _merit_. I wonder if she had to use her _assets_ to secure her position as Head Girl. You ever ask her? Ever ask her how many late nights she spent with Flitwick and Professor Grebe _earning_ it?"

It was his first instinct to lunge at Black and rip his heart out through his throat. Thankfully, for Black's sake, Cordelia held a firm grip on Severus' arms. Lucien reached up as well, from his seat behind him to restrain him. This only sent the Gryffindors into quiet laughter.

"Oh, look at that!" Potter chimed in. "Snapey had to have his _girlfriend _and his house's resident daddy's boy restrain him. That's priceless."

"Sod off, Potter, you miserable prat!" hissed Cordelia. She hesitantly let go of Severus' arm.

"A bit sensitive about your boyfriend, aren't you, Lestrange?" Potter hissed back. "Not that any of us blame you."

The rest of the Gryffindor seventh years and most of the Slytherins as well, turned in their desks to watch the scene unfurl. Professor Grebe continued to lecture at the front of the class, his face towards the blackboard, his magical hearing aid obviously turned off.

"So since you evidently can't bear to be apart from your new girl, Snape," Black opened his unwelcome mouth again. "Perhaps in Advanced Potions tomorrow, Miss Albrecht will be _my _partner." He smirked at him, a smirk that made Severus' wand hand itch to curse off.

"Not likely," Severus muttered.

"That not make you jealous, Lestrange?" Potter asked. Severus could see in the corner of his eye Cordelia's usually calm face curl up into a scowl.

"You know, Snape, despite what may have happened last year," Black continued to smirk in his direction. "Miss Albrecht _will_ be my partner. It's about time she had someone who could show her the proper way to _brew_ potions. She doesn't need any more of your unskilled fumblings."

It was no secret to anyone who was listening just exactly what Black meant by his comments. Something inside of Severus snapped. Maybe it was the comment he made about his sister or maybe it was what he implied about Ursula. Something, whatever it was, set him off.

Before any of his House mates could stop him, Severus had hurled his heavy potions book across the room, hitting James Potter square in the face. A moment later he threw himself at Black, knocking his and Lupin's cauldrons and ingredients all over the floor. He managed to get three good blows to Black's precious face before Evan and Lucien pulled Severus off of him. The room was in an uproar; even Grebe could not ignore the scene.

"Mister Snape! Mister Black! Move to the front of the room!"

They, hesitantly, obliged the aging Potions master.

"Thirty points will be taken from each of your Houses _and_ you will both be serving a week's worth of detentions. I expect starting next Monday for the two of you to meet me right here every day after dinner!"

"Yes, Professor," Black and Snape replied quietly.

"Now, get out of my class, everyone! Class is over."

* * *

The library became Severus' haven that evening after lessons were over. He knew it was cowardly of him, but he was in no mood to speak with anyone. Hiding in the library on the first day of classes was his best bet to finding much needed privacy. Very few students would even step foot in the library corridor during the first week of classes.

Walking through the rows of musty old spell books in the back of the library always cleared his head. Centuries of history filled his senses with a simple stroll through the aisles. Remembering a book that he had wanted to check out, he swiftly turned a corner and….

WHAP!

How Severus managed to stay on his feet when he realized he was standing two inches from Ursula Albrecht he still had no idea. He felt that he had been hit multiple times with the jelly legs jinx.

"Ursula… I… I…"Severus stammered. When he turned the corner, he not only collided with Miss Albrecht, he collided with her _and _managed to pin her to a bookshelf.

"Severus…" she blushed.

"I am terribly sorry," he squeaked out, quickly moving away from her using the bookshelf to steady his feet.

"It's all right," she answered, a blush creeping up her cheeks. "I should have been watching where I was going."

He found his stomach performing tricks inside of him. It seemed absurd to him that a young woman could cause his behavior to be so erratic. Neither of them knew quite what to say. She smiled at him, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, pulling a piece of rolled parchment out of her robes. "I ran in to Miss Lestrange in the corridor. When she saw me heading towards the library she asked me to give this to you."

Severus slowly took the parchment from her, blushing furiously when his hand brushed against her dainty hand.

"Apparently she knew you would be hiding in here, I believe is what she said. Your owl delivered this after classes. She asked me to give it to you because apparently she has a bit of a fear of the library so close to the beginning of the year."

They both nervously chuckled. Cordelia was by no means the only person with that fear.

"Yes, she believes it to be bad luck or some nonsense," he replied.

"She also mentioned something about…" she lowered her voice and paused, unsure whether to finish her sentence. "Mentioned something about bringing you dinner in your common room if you didn't feel up to eating in the Great Hall tonight. Is she… is she your girl?" Severus noticed Ursula drop her eyes demurely when she asked that question.

"No," he replied, also noticing her eyes lift up to meet his when he answered. "Cordelia is simply a good friend of mine I did not know I possessed until yesterday."

She gave him a bashful smile, her deep blue eyes twinkling.

"She knew that I had a difficult day today, and this letter may only prove to make it more difficult. I assume she simply did not want me to feel obligated to see everyone this evening at dinner."

"That's very kind of her."

He handled the parchment nervously, uncertain as to what to say next.

"I heard about what happened in your potions class this morning," Ursula said, with what sounded like a bit of amusement in her tone.

"Oh, yeah… that. I should have known it would be all over school by now," he answered, dropping his eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Black has a nasty bruise on his cheek," she said, desperately trying to hide a giggle.

"He does now?" Severus raised an eyebrow, making her snigger.

"Yes, and umm… I hear that you are the one that gave it to him," She raised her eyebrow at him, causing him to snigger.

"I am afraid that I cannot deny it," he tried to suppress his laughter, but they both failed miserably. Their mirth spread through the quiet aisles of bookshelves in the relatively empty library.

"Mr. Black went on and on in Muggle Studies today about how he managed to get a few good punches in himself," she smiled. "But judging by the condition of y our face and the smirk you are currently displaying, I would have to believe he was telling a falsehood."

Severus' laughter continued. For a reason beyond his understanding, the more he spoke with this lovely young lady, the more comfortable around her he became. The butterflies that had taken up residence in his stomach slowly reduced their fluttering. His legs no longer felt they had been jinxed. Yes, even the nausea that had plagued him from the moment he laid eyes on her pressed up against the bookshelf was slowly subsiding.

"Ursula…" he hesitated. "Would you like to walk with me to the Great Hall? I believe dinner will be starting in a few minutes."

She smiled warmly at him. The butterflies fluttered furiously.

"I would love to."

He offered her his arm, which she gladly accepted. They had exited the library and had almost reached the end of the corridor when she stopped suddenly.

"Your letter…" she said. "You never got a moment to read your letter."

"Oh, uh… I can read it later."

"No, don't wait. Miss Lestrange made it seem like it was very important. I do not want you to wait. What if something happened after you left home?"

"I do not wish to be rude by reading it now."

"Oh, go on, Severus," she smiled at him; assuring him it would be no trouble if he read the letter on the way to dinner. "Read it and then you can regale me with the tale of you and Sirius Black in the dungeons."

Nervously he unraveled the parchment. It contained both his family's and his sister's personal seal, leaving no doubt in his mind as to what it was about.

_Dear Severus, _

_I am truly sorry that you found out about my marriage from your schoolmates. That should never have happened. You were right when you said I should let you know what was happening in my life. I believe it was simply cowardice on my part. Yes, Father signed the marriage contract with Lord Malfoy. Legally and magically I am now the wife of Luca Malfoy. Next week we have our 'formal' ceremony, which in actuality means nothing. I have known about this since last June. Father told me he was ashamed that I had taken so long to marry and that I turned down every marriage proposal I ever received. Somewhere in the back of my mind I believed that it might be possible for me to live my life unmarried, or at least until I met someone I loved. I knew that no matter how you received news of Luca you would not be pleased. If you were anywhere near Father I was afraid you would say or do something that might cause you great harm in the long run. _

_Please do not let this trouble you. I am the daughter of a wizarding Lord. This is my lot in life. This is what I should have done years ago. Don't worry about me. I can survive despite anything that might happen as the future Lady Malfoy. _

_And I promise that from now on, I will tell you everything that is happening in my life. You have to promise me the same as well. I hope your first day of classes went well. Please keep an eye out for Sidonius. He worries me when I am not around to look after him. Between the two of us, he sent me an owl last night telling me how excited he was 'to be in the same house as his big brother, Severus'. Take care of him. He is looking up to you. I love you, Russie. _

_Speranza _

Ursula continued to hold on to his arm as he placed the parchment back into his robe pockets. They walked through the corridors in silence.

"Are you all right, Severus?" she asked timidly when they were walking down the great marble staircase.

"Wha… oh, yeah. I'm fine." It was an obvious lie. Neither one of them were convinced.

"All right. I understand," she said giving him a sympathetic smile.

He stopped five steps from the bottom of the staircase. They were already late to dinner. There was only a slight trickle of students entering the Great Hall.

"My father sold my sister in marriage against her will," he blurted out.

"Oh…" She was speechless; color rising rapidly to her cheeks in what Severus had to admit was an adorable blush.

"Luca Malfoy asked her countless times in the past to marry him, but she said no. She _hates_ him. Father and Lord Malfoy signed a marriage contract. They have their formal ceremony next week. She did not even have the decency to tell me before I left for school. I found out from my house mates last night at the feast."

"I wondered why you look so sullen last night," she said before looking up at him with startled eyes. "I mean… oh… uh, I happened to look up at your table last night during the feast. I saw you, and you did not look happy."

He managed a feeble, half-smile at her before her own features lit up with a bright, full-smile.

"Come on, let's go to dinner. Take one look at Sirius Black and you will feel worlds better."

* * *

Severus was in a considerable better mood the next morning when he descended into the dungeons for his lesson. Today was advanced potions, and he could not help but smile at the thought. The only Gryffindor in there whom even bothered to speak to him was Sirius Black. He was still embarrassed by their potions lesson the day before. Advanced Potions was also the class that Ursula Albrecht and he would be in together. Yes, today was shaping up to be a much better day.

When he entered the classroom, Severus found Sirius Black speaking in an overly friendly manner with Ursula, much to his dismay. As the daughter of the Minister of Magic, Ursula had grown up being friendly to practically everyone she met. Severus only hoped her act with Black was her Minister's daughter act.

"Good morning, Severus," she greeted as he took a seat in one of the front desks.

"Good morning, Ursula," he articulated her name very carefully for Black's benefit. He merely glowered at his rival.

"So, Miss Albrecht…" Sirius returned to the pretty girl of Severus' affections.

"Please, call me Ursula," she insisted.

"All right," he smiled at her and then turned his head to smirk at Severus. "_Ursula_, I was hoping to ask you to be my potions partner this year. I thought a change would benefit us all. Not to mention that I would love to have you working with me."

Every girl at Hogwarts knew the famous, rather infamous, manner in which Sirius Black operated. He smiled his 'charming' smile at Ursula, obviously expecting her to fawn all over him.

"Thank you, Mr. Black…"

"Please, call me Sirius," he took her hand and brushed it across his lips. Frankly the sight sickened not only Severus, but also every other male in the room.

"All right, Sirius…" He smirked at Severus again. Oh, how he wanted to curse him into any manner of vile creature. "Thank you very much for the offer…"

He led her to the desk where he had already placed his books and cauldron.

"But…" she casually removed her hand from his grasp. "I promised Severus that I would be his partner again this year."

She walked slowly to sit in the seat next to Severus. Black stood there with his mouth hanging open.

"Yes, Black. Miss Albrecht and I do work so well together," Snape said to him.

When he got over the initial shock of being turned down, Sirius glared at Severus. The future potions master shot him his signature smirk before leaning to speak with Ursula about their lesson. Sirius' glare only got worse, his face only got redder.

Perhaps Severus was wrong about this year. This could very well be an exciting year.

* * *

Severus found himself hidden in the library several weeks later cursing the existence of Sirius Black. This was not an unusual experience except for one very large difference. He was standing one aisle over from Severus, doing his very best to gain the affection of Ursula Albrecht. Hidden behind the bookshelf Severus could hear every word that they said to each other.

"Is there a book I could help you find, Miss Albrecht?" Black stood entirely too close to Ursula as he said this.

"Wha…" Ursula turned around abruptly. She jumped when she came face to face with Black. "Oh, Mr. Black, I am so sorry. I did not know you were there."

"Please, call me Sirius," he insisted, taking the large book she was holding out of her hands.

Without missing a beat, Ursula reclaimed her book from his grasp.

"Thank you, Sirius, but I am very busy right now." She said it in a polite manner, but Severus could sense he was trying her patience.

"Herbology homework?" he asked, looking at the title of her book.

"Yes, although I am sure you were already aware that you are in the Herbology section." She was still polite, but Severus knew it would only be a short time before she was upset with the resident Pretty Boy.

"Oh, of course," he blushed.

Ursula turned away from him to continue perusing the library's volumes on Herbology. Severus had only seen her truly upset on one occasion, and it too had been in the company of Black. On one of our first days in Advanced Potions Ursula had been helping Cordelia with her own Wiggenweld Healing Potion. It was relatively simple work, a potion that he would later teach to first years, but supplies in the Hospital ward were low. Madam Pomfrey enlisted the aid of Professor Grebe to keep her supply closet full. To get back at Cordelia for a snide remark she had made earlier, Black replaced their dittany with a volatile substitute. He was unaware that Ursula was destined to drop the substance into the cauldron for Cordelia.

After a melted cauldron and scorches on the front of her robes, Ursula was the angriest Severus had ever seen her. Black refrained from speaking to her for the next week and a half. Sadly those days were long since over.

"Ursula…" Black stammered.

She turned back to face him. Her exasperation was written clearly on her face. Only an idiot like Black was blind to it.

"Yes, Mr. Black?"

"I was wondering if… well, tomorrow is the first Hogsmeade visit of the year," he continued.

_He better not be about to do what I think he is!_

"I know the novelty of visiting the village has worn off by now, but I was hoping that you would like to join me in the Three Broomsticks for a drink and some laughs."

Ursula let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. Severus leaned closer to the bookshelf, his chest hitting a large volume roughly.

"All right, Sirius," she said in little above a whisper. "I will meet you tomorrow…"

"Great!" He reached out again to take her book from her. She moved out of his grasp.

"But… today I need to work on my Herbology assignment. I will see you tomorrow." She dismissed him politely with the flick of her wrist.

Frustrated and angry, Severus slammed his hand into the bookshelf. A heavy tome discussing the virtue of using _Venomous Tentacula_ in your everyday gardening needs met his hand and then left the shelf to come into contact with the back of Black's head. It was an accident, but naturally Severus was not sorry about it.

He staggered and grabbed his head. Before Severus had ample time to escape an infuriated Sirius Black, he ran around the bookshelf to meet him face to face.

"I should have known it was you," he spat.

Remembering himself, Severus stood to his full height and looked him straight in the eye.

"Well, well, Black…" he began.

Before either one of them could act on their hatred for the other, Madam Cornelius, Hogwarts' librarian arrived on the scene.

"This is not over, Snape," Black threatened as he left through the library doors.

_Yeah, it's never over_, Severus thought bitterly. He would rather Black and his little Gryffindor mates just leave him alone then there be any kind of interaction.

"Did he do anything?" Ursula emerged from the aisle over.

"No," Severus answered calmly. "He never does anything, only threatens."

"I must extend my apologies to you, Severus," she began, dropping her eyes from his gaze. "I seem to be the cause of your quarrels with Mr. Black these days."

While she had lately become an excuse for the 'quarrels' that Black and Severus had been having for six years, she was by no means the only reason. To assure her of that fact, he hesitantly took her delicate, right hand and held it between both of his much larger hands. She raised her chin to look at him once more. For her and only for her, he reserved an unusual warm smile.

"It is not because of you, Ursula. I assure you." Severus was nervous realizing exactly how close he was to her in the deserted aisle. Although he did not want to bring it up with her he knew he would regret later if he did not choose that moment to ask the question that was weighing heavily on his mind. "I could not help hearing…"

Severus cleared his throat nervously.

"I heard that you would be joining Black tomorrow in Hogsmeade," he looked away from her.

Much to his great relief, she let out a long, audible sigh.

"He would not leave me alone," she explained, her words laced with frustration. "I had to think of some way to get him to leave me alone. My Herbology assignment has been taking up much of my time, and I have had to shoo him away from me three times this week."

"I think he…"

"Don't say it!" she almost shouted, earning them both a glare from Madam Cornelius. "I have no interest in him, but I am afraid my polite upbringing as the Minister's daughter prevents me from being the slightest bit rude to him."

She broke the impending silence with the most unique laugh he had ever heard. It was quiet and polite, as would be expected from a girl of her background, but something in the way her blue eyes danced made him realize there was a side to Miss Ursula Albrecht that he would love to see.

"I understand," Severus replied truthfully. "But I do not have to follow such courtesies. Well, you have obviously seen me."

She smiled at him, and he felt an all too familiar wave of nausea flood over him. Years later he would look back and remain slightly embarrassed by the way he allowed this young woman to affect him. If any of his future students knew him at that point in his existence he felt certain that he would never have been the formidable potions master he turned out to be.

Desperate to recover his senses, Severus delved into the one subject he knew he would be all right to discuss with her: schoolwork.

"May I ask what you are doing for your Herbology assignment? Or if you would rather I left you to it…"

"Don't be silly, Severus," she admonished gently. "I find you to be a much welcome distraction."

To his abject horror, Severus found himself blushing. Unfortunately she noticed, but her smile put him at ease.

"I am writing a thesis on the properties of spiky bushes in common healing potions," she explained rather animatedly. "It is required for my extra medi-magic lessons."

"Fascinating… I have always found 'spiky bushes' to be a poor name for such a plant," Severus found himself saying aloud. "For a ten-foot plant that spits inch-long spikes at anything that gets too close to it, it is not nearly frightening or scientific enough."

Thankfully she found his comment amusing.

"They are dreadful, aren't they?" she laughed. "Which reminds me… ugh…" She pulled her book bag further up her arm. "I have to collect a few samples from the greenhouse before dinner."

Ursula stopped moving, and looked up at him in an almost hopeful, expectant manner. Severus was prepared to leave her to her Herbology assignment, but was halted by the infuriatingly, demure way she was looking at him. Her head was down, but her eyes were looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Would you join me in the greenhouse?" she asked quietly. "I would greatly appreciate your help."

Severus could feel his palms get sweatier by the moment. Horrible… that he could allow a girl to have such power over him. But, as he had to frequently remind himself, this was no ordinary girl.

"Yes, of course," he answered abruptly, trying desperately not to choke on his words.

"Great," she smiled at him before leading the way to the outdoor greenhouses.

By the time they reached Greenhouse number seven, the ice had been broken. Ursula and he were conversing freely and comfortably. Severus found her company refreshing. There were few girls he enjoyed speaking with.

"Right in here," Ursula took his arm to lead him into a side room.

The new Herbology professor was busy slicing up raw meat. Severus assumed it was to feed one of her odd plants.

"Excuse me, Professor Sprout," Ursula said as she crossed to the worktable.

"Oh, Miss Albrecht! Mr. Snape! You startled me."

Flora Sprout had only begun her teaching career at Hogwarts that year. She was an intelligent and capable teacher, but she exhibited far too many of her Hufflepuff qualities. Basically forbidden by his father to interact with the members of that particular house, Severus had little patience for its members. Ursula, however, seemed to have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for this compassionate soul.

"I am just about finished with my prized _Venomous Tentaculas'_ dinner," Professor Sprout explained before turning back to her table.

"I was hoping I might be able to get a sample from a spiky bush for my assignment," Ursula announced, reaching for a knife to help.

"No need to ask, dearie," Professor Sprout took the knife out of her hand and smiled. "Go on, and take as much as you need."

"Thank you, Professor."

Ursula, apparently familiar with the way, took the lead once more. Because Severus only spent enough time in the greenhouse to satisfy his basic requirements in the subject of Herbology, he was lost in a greenhouse he could only remember being in once. As the top student in the Herbology, Ursula divided her time between the library and various greenhouses.

"_Incendio_!" She raised her wand to wilt a large, biting plant that had somehow managed to escape from its pot.

"Does that happen often?" Severus asked once he noticed how calm she was following the near attack.

"I am afraid so," she explained. "Professor Fauna kept some very exotic plants in this greenhouse. He did not pot most of them correctly. I spend much of my free time helping Professor Sprout fix his mistakes."

Pushing open a door about twenty feet tall, Ursula led Severus into one of the oddest rooms he could ever remember being in. At least fifty ten-foot spiky bushes lined the walls. Spiky bushes, despite their ridiculous name, are much more dangerous than they look. These large green bushes are covered in foot-long spikes. To protect themselves, they spit inch long spikes at anyone who gets too close. Their roots are potent potion ingredients, but it can be quite dangerous to collect. Severus had always relied on buying his roots from a potion supply company or from the few students daring enough to face the dreadful plants.

"How do you plan to get the root?" he asked, interested in the exact procedure.

"Have you never collected your own?" she smiled, knowing the answer.

"Uh… no. I prefer to buy…"

"It is a simple spell," she interjected. "A spell we learned in our first year."

She pulled her wand from her pocket just as she had done minutes earlier.

"_Incendio_!"

A spark of green light shot out of the end of her wand and struck a bush in front of us. The bush froze, began to wilt before their eyes, and spit out dozens of its spikes all at once. Prepared for the reaction, Ursula moved Severus out of the way of the stream of spikes.

"You have to be careful around these," she was almost scolding him. Almost, but then she began to laugh. "Honestly, Severus, I cannot believe you do not collect your own ingredients. That seems exactly the thing you would do."

She was right. It did seem like something he would do, Severus realized. A bit of a perfectionist, he usually preferred to do things on his own rather than allow others to do them for him. Instead of admitting that, he used the sarcasm that he was already known for.

"Tell me, Miss Albrecht. Do you collect your own dragon's blood?"

It was harsher than Severus planned. Immediately he wished he had remained silent. Ursula did not react as Severus assumed she would. Instead of being insulted or hurt, she merely smiled at him.

"Touché," she laughed. "No, I like to _buy_ my own dragon's blood."

Relieved she was not angry with him and also a bit shocked, Severus crouched down to the ground to assist Ursula with the retrieval of the roots.

"I can only remember being in this greenhouse once," he admitted once they were finished, and Ursula was satisfied with the amount of roots they had collected.

"Really? Hmm," she replied taking the arm he offered to pull herself up. "I love the greenhouses. They are so peaceful. Very few students are ever here."

She stood up completely to wipe the dirt off of her robes. Her hair, which was usually pulled back in a loose knot, was beginning to come out of its restrictive style. Loose strands of russet hair fell over her face. To Severus, she had never looked more beautiful.

"There are secret, hidden rooms everywhere," she explained, pushing her loose hair behind her ears.

"Secret rooms? They are obviously well-hidden," he remarked once he looked around at their surroundings.

"You just have to know where to look."

She leaned her back against an ivy-covered wall. A moment later she disappeared.

"Ursula?" Severus called after her, but there was no answer.

He leaned his back against the very spot she had disappeared. Pushing slightly against it, he found himself in one of the secret rooms she had spoken about.

"See what I mean?" she laughed behind him.

Severus turned around slowly to take in the beautiful view. A flowing stream with a waterfall took up most of the room. Green ivy covered the walls. Two large dragon statues stood at each end of the stream. And finally, standing on a small, wooden bridge crossing the stream was Ursula.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

"Yes, very," he replied, referring more to the company than the surroundings.

"This is only one place I like to come. Usually to hide, if I may be so honest."

"From Black?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in expectation.

She smiled at him. Slowly she moved closer to where he was standing.

"Yes," she answered simply.

"Then you do not care for him like all of the other girls?"

"I should think it was obvious that I do not."

Severus could hardly breathe. She was standing only inches away from him. Once more she was looking up at him as she had in the library.

"Of course…" he choked out.

They stood there silently. Severus desperately longed to reach out and touch her. Those damned demure looks of hers were getting to him. Hesitantly, still unsure if this was what she wanted, he placed a hand on her arm. Without a word, she moved closer to him, threw off the demure look, and met his eyes boldly with hers.

"_Just kiss her, damn it!"_ Severus yelled inside his head.

With a little more daring, he moved both of his arms around her. She smiled at him, confirming this was exactly what she wanted. Knowing that eventually he would have to make the first move, Severus lowered his lips to meet hers. Mere moments from contact…

"They have go to be around here somewhere!"

Startled, they jumped back from each other.

"Black!" Severus hissed quietly.

"Come on. Just forget it, Padfoot. Let's go."

"Look here, Prongs. They are together. It says so right here."

Ursula took Severus' hand and led him over the bridge. With a swift kick to a potted plant, an ivy door sung open. Once they were through and it had shut, they heard the sound of footsteps over the bridge where they had almost shared their first kiss.

"They were just here!" yelled Black, obviously frustrated.

Thus began a game of cat and mouse. There seemed to be dozens of secret rooms all over the greenhouses and gardens. Ursula knew where each was, and it seemed that somehow Black and Potter had figured out a way to follow them. How they managed to stay close to them was a secret for years until Severus found their blasted map. After a chase of ten minutes and a near incident with yet another spiky bush, Ursula led him across an open area in front of Greenhouse number four. With a whispered _Alohomora,_ one final secret room opened for them. The hedge closed and they paused both out of breath.

"The Halloween feast is about to start, Sirius," they heard Potter announce as they tried in vain to keep from laughing. "I have to be there as Head Boy."

"They are around here somewhere," Black was desperate to find Ursula.

"Let's just leave them then. If she wants Snape, she is not worth it."

"But she is!" Black shouted.

"All right, calm down, Padfoot. Let's go to the feast. If they don't show up we can come back."

Apparently talked into leaving, the sound of Black and Potter's footsteps quickly faded away to nothing. It was only then that Severus realized how close he was to Ursula. They both had jumped through the small door at the same time and landed against each other. Their adrenaline from the chase prevented them from noticing, but now that the Gryffindors were gone, they were all too aware.

"Finally, they are gone," she laughed. "I thought they would never give up. How Sirius always manages to find me wherever I go is a complete mystery to me."

"What is this place?" Severus asked, stepping back from her, and immediately wishing he hadn't.

"This is my favorite hiding place. Come on, I'll show you the rest."

She took his hand in hers and pulled him further into the darkness of the narrow passageway. When they emerged from the passage twenty yards on, Severus was amazed at what he saw. Stepping into a brightly lit courtyard he could easily understand why this was her favorite place. Trees and hedges protected the space from prying eyes. A large fountain took up a great deal of space, but was accompanied by benches on two of its sides.

"This is great," he said. "Do you hide here often?"

"As often as I can," she answered, still holding on to his hand.

Severus looked down at the beautiful girl standing with him and realized the honor he should feel at her showing him her private hiding place. She was allowing him in. Remembering what they had been so close to doing on the bridge, he pulled her back into his arms.

"Thank you for showing me," he whispered.

She said nothing, only lifted her lips to his. There was no interruption this time. As they stood there in the moonlight of that Halloween night fumbling through their first kiss, Severus knew that there was nothing else he wanted to do or nowhere else he wanted to be. He ran his hands across her back to tug at her hair. When her long, russet locks fell on her shoulders, he knew she was the one person he wanted. Loathe to admit it, Severus had fallen in love with Ursula Albrecht.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

The weeks following Halloween and Severus' first kiss passed by in a blur. Ursula did not run from him, as he feared she would. Much to his pleasure and truthfully, his confusion, she seemed to seek out his company more and more. They studied together in the library, snuck off to the greenhouses together, stole clandestine kisses in the corridors, and all the while managed to drive Sirius Black crazy.

"Let's go for a walk," Ursula suggested, closing her book loudly enough to earn a sharp look from Madam Cornelius.

Severus was lost in a book discussing the many uses of mandrake root in potions. Ursula shook him gently, bringing him back to reality and out of the book.

"Do you ever just read a book?" she teased playfully. "You always seems to lose yourself inside them."

"Sorry," he apologized, his ears no doubt turning a ghastly shade of red. "I did not realize."

"It is perfectly all right," she assured him, taking one of his hands in hers under the table. "When you read, you can become so intense. Almost a bit…" She stopped herself from going further.

"Almost a bit what?" he snapped, inwardly wishing he had not.

"A bit scary, actually," she said in a whisper.

Severus was by no means expecting that response from her. His worst fear was realized. She did not care for him. In fact, she thought he was frightening. Both his pride and his anger at her words bubbled over.

"You find me scary!" he repeated, his tone earning a glare from the librarian and a warning shake of her head.

"No, that's not what I meant!" Ursula defended herself.

"Well, pray tell, what did you mean when you said 'I become scary'!"

Madam Cornelius was walking towards their table at a brisk pace. The few students in the library turned to look at them.

"Severus, calm down," Ursula pleaded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You misunderstand me."

"Mr. Snape, Miss Albrecht," hissed Madam Cornelius. "This is a library. Five points from Slytherin and Ravenclaw for disrupting your fellow students' studying."

Ursula turned her gaze away from Severus. She stared down at the table in front of them.

"Now," Madam Cornelius continued. "As neither of you seem to be studying, I ask that you gather your things and leave at once. You may return once you have learned to be quiet in a library."

Severus reached for his books, and willed himself not to look at Ursula. Catching sight of her in the corner of his eyes, he saw tears stream down her face as she hurried to gather her belongings. Inwardly he felt dreadful knowing he was the cause of her tears.

"Mr. Snape," Madam Cornelius said firmly. "Kindly follow Miss Albrecht's lead and exit."

Ursula was at the end of the corridor when he left the library. She had practically run from the room at Madam Cornelius' insistence.

"Ursula, wait!" Severus called after her.

She did not stop. His words only caused her to move faster. Chasing her through the semi-deserted corridors he was finally able to catch up with her in the entrance hall. She was headed for the outdoors, the greenhouses for sure.

"Ursula, stop," he pleaded with her.

Placing a shaking hand on her shoulder, he slowly turned her around to face him. Tears continued to stream down her face. Severus could feel his airways constrict at the sight.

"I did not mean to lose my temper with you," he whispered. "Please do not be angry with me."

Severus found himself unable to breathe as he waited those next few moments for her response. She meant more to him than he had ever realized. That is, until that moment when he thought he might lose her. The space around him began to dim and grow smaller as he feared his only bright spot would run away from him.

"There is so much about you that I want to understand," Ursula said quietly.

She moved one of her pale, delicate hands to rest against his cheek. The way she looked straight into his eyes terrified him. It was as if she was looking past him, into some part of him that she longed to see. It was unnerving to say the least.

"There is so much you have to offer, Severus," she whispered. "I want to understand you. I want to know you."

He let out a loud, exhausted sigh. Slowly the air around him began to make its way to his lungs. She had not moved her right hand from his cheek. Raising his own to grasp hers, he pulled it down and her closer.

"What…" Severus began, unsure of the proper wording. "What do you wish to know?"

"What are you hiding from?" she asked plainly, the tears in her eyes replaced with concern.

"Hiding from?" he repeated.

"I have watched you for several years now," she admitted, not turning her gaze elsewhere. "Do you remember our first train ride to Hogwarts? When neither of us knew anyone else and we sat together in the empty compartment?"

He remembered, and part of him wished he did not.

"I knew we had something in common when we first met. We had both been raised in a world of adults, never knowing children our own age," she continued. "You fascinated me that day. The way you seemed to escape into your own world when you were reading, when we were looking out the window, and when… when Sirius Black joined us."

"Do we have to discuss this?" he said, quietly, hoping she would get the hint that certain events in his past were better left undisturbed.

"Immediately it was obvious that neither of you cared for each other," she persisted. "He was arrogant even at eleven. There is no question there. When he started to talk to you, to insult you, you did nothing. Instead of sticking up for yourself, you retreated into yourself."

Severus turned away from her. This was not something he wished to discuss.

"Just as you are doing now!" She raised her voice, echoes bouncing through the entrance hall.

"You should not discuss things you do not understand," He regretted his words the moment they crossed his lips.

Severus felt her hands tug on his arm. She turned him back around to face her. When he refused to look her in the eye, she slapped him hard across the face. His eyes, full of rage and fear, met hers.

"I love you," she stated firmly, much to his shock. "I have loved you from the moment I saw you on the train when we were eleven. I would give up everything for you."

These words were a complete surprise to him. While they were not said under the circumstances he wished or even in the tone he hoped, they were amazing nonetheless.

"But…"

He knew it was too good to be true.

"Until you can learn to let someone else in, I cannot be with you. I _will not_ be with you until you can open yourself up to be loved by another."

She looked him straight in the eyes, the tears returning to hers. Her hand reached up to stroke his cheek. One last touch and she left him. She opened the great, big doors and disappeared into the snow-covered grounds.

"That mean she's available, _Snivelus_?"

Severus did not hear Black's words. With the echo of what Ursula had just said to him ringing through his head, he turned on his heel, and retreated to his dormitory hidden in the castle dungeons.

* * *

"Is he still in there?" Cordelia's voice passed through the door.

"Yeah, he has not left in three days," answered Evan.

Severus could hear his fellow Slytherins speaking through the closed door to his dormitory.

"Let me in," Cordelia said.

She threw open the door and crossed quickly to where Severus was hidden. The curtains of his bed were pulled shut. That was where he had been for days. A swift pull of a curtain and they were face to face.

"Gods, Sev, you look dreadful," she wrinkled her face up.

"Thanks, I feel so much better," he retorted acidly.

"Yeah, well, I am not here to coddle you," she said, sitting down on the side of his bed.

"Then may I ask what the hell you are doing here?"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me!" She sounded more like a scolding mother than a seventeen-year-old girl. "I am probably the only friend you have right now. From what Gary told me earlier and what Evan just told me outside, you are not exactly Mr. Popular in the boys' dorm."

"Oh, was there a pageant I was unaware of?" His sarcasm only egged her on.

"You will not be sarcastic right now!" she yelled in a tone of voice that even Severus dared not argue with. "You cannot hide in here forever." Her tone was much quieter and full of concern.

"I'm not hiding."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "Three days in bed in the dark and you're not hiding?"

"She does not want to see me anymore," he whispered.

"There is a lot of evidence to the contrary."

His ears and his spirits perked up at this bit of news.

"There is?"

"For the past three days, while she has not been hiding in her dormitory like a child, Ursula has not been herself. It is obvious she is as upset as you are."

They sat there silent for a few moments.

"Listen to me. Sitting here alone in the dark is not going to solve anything," she patted him soothingly on the shoulder.

She stood up and began to leave the room. Halfway to the door, she turned around to face her friend.

"The Hogwarts Express is leaving in two hours. You should start packing for winter holiday."

* * *

Early in the evening hours of that same day Severus found himself back in the King's Cross station. Dozens of parents were there to greet their children off on winter break. Feeling quite certain that he would not find his parents in the crowd, Severus led Sidonius over to the large fireplaces that would take them to Snape Manor.

"Hey, Severus!" he heard a voice shout behind him.

He turned around to see Lucien Malfoy rushing towards him. Narcissa Black was only steps behind.

"Did you not get your owl?" Narcissa asked.

"No, of course he didn't," laughed Lucien. "He's been shut up in the dormitory for three days straight."

"What owl?" Severus demanded impatiently.

"You and Sidonius will be staying at Malfoy Manor for Christmas," Lucien announced.

"Why?" he asked.

"Sidonius, sweetie, why don't you go help Lucy with her trunk," suggested Narcissa.

Sidonius obviously unaware of how angry Severus felt bounced off in search of his friend Lucy.

"Your parents have decided to join your brother Sterne's family for Christmas this year," explained Lucien. "Luca agreed to let you and your brother spend the holidays with your sister Speranza."

"Oh," was all he said.

In the almost three months he had been in school, Speranza and Severus had said very little. He was angry with her, and she felt it best to give him a bit of space. But now… he was having a difficult time remembering why he was ever upset with his sister. Now all he wanted was to hear her tell him that everything was all right, that Ursula and he had just had a simple row, and they would work it out.

* * *

Christmas at Malfoy Manor was not on Severus' list of things he would like to do. As he stood in front of the grand house he felt his insides twist and turn in knots. This was not where he wanted to be. He did not want to see Luca Malfoy. He especially did not want to see his beloved sister as his wife. The trip from the station to the manor gave him time to think about what he might see once he got there.

"Come on, Severus," Lucien clapped him on the back. "They are waiting for us."

Severus entered the entrance hall hesitantly. Sidonius had already run ahead of him, seeking out Speranza. There was no one in the hall awaiting their arrival. Confused, Severus looked towards Lucien.

"They'll be waiting for us in the drawing room," Lucien assured him.

Feeling the cauldron cakes that he had eaten on the train churn in his stomach, Severus followed the proud, elderly house elf that had answered the door for them. He had spent many evenings in the manor at various Malfoy family sponsored functions, so he knew it quite well. At the end of the long hallway sat the family's spacious and private drawing room.

"Speranza!" he heard Sidonius shout as he entered the room.

There was something strangely different about his sister when Severus first laid eyes on her that day. She did not look like the person he had left at the train station only a few months earlier. Seated next to Luca, he had never seen her look so tired. She gave her brother a warm smile as he entered.

"Welcome, Severus, Sidonius," Luca greeted insincerely.

Severus hated Luca Malfoy. He was a tall, powerful wizard with the same white-blond hair as his three siblings. Possessing a face like a starved rat, his nephew Draco would be his spitting image in years to come. While considered handsome by every woman he met and envied by almost that many men, Severus found nothing noble or admirable about the wizard.

"Lucy, take Sidonius to his room, please. You may show your brother where he will be staying, if you wish, Speranza," Luca said, leaning over to kiss Speranza's cheek. Severus felt the sudden urge to curse him into oblivion, but Speranza's knowing gaze stopped him.

"Do you have to get his permission for every little thing?" he demanded of her once they were alone in the hall.

She dropped her eyes to the floor. Immediately Severus wished he could have just kissed her hello and kept his mouth shut. He felt even worse when he saw the tears on her face that he no doubt was responsible for.

"I'm sorry, Speranza," he said quickly, but sincerely.

She said nothing as she took his right hand to lead him from the hall. Once they were inside the room that he and Sidonius would share, she broke down into tears and fell in his arms. This feeling was strange to him. In the past it was always Speranza's arms that Severus had fallen into. He had never before had to comfort her.

"I am so sorry," she said a few minutes later while she wiped her face with a handkerchief.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he led her to sit on a sofa in the room.

"No reason to worry about me, Russie," she assured him.

"Then… why were you crying?"

"You'll have to forgive me," she laughed. "I can be so emotional. It's just simply that I have missed you."

Severus felt she was lying, but decided against pushing her.

"So… tell me all about school," she smiled, a little forced in his opinion.

"Great," he answered tersely.

"Sid owled me a few weeks ago. He told me that you and a certain Minister of Magic's daughter have been spending a lot of time together lately."

She winked at him, and immediately he felt the churning in his stomach return. Ursula… of course. Seeing Speranza as the future Lady Malfoy complete with being bossed around by the future Lord Malfoy had managed to push her completely out of his mind.

"Yes… we were spending a lot of time together," he answered, dropping his eyes. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Oh… do you want to tell me what happened?" She said it in such a way that he was unable to say no.

"We had a fight a few days ago. It was silly really, but she does not want to see me right now." He was unsure whether Ursula ever wanted to see him again, and this seemed his best answer.

"I am so sorry," She put her arm around him and squeezed his shoulder.

"Everything was going very well," he continued. "Until the other day in the library… she said something… I know she did not mean to be harsh, but… we fought. It was silly, but then she said something else…"

"What did she say?"

Severus recalled the whole library and entrance hall incident to her. She sat there listening to him patiently. When he finished he looked up at her expectantly.

"She was right," Speranza replied simply.

"What!" He raised his voice.

"Calm down, Severus," she was firm in her request. "She was right. You are an amazing person. There is so much you have to offer those around you, but you have to first let that side of you show."

They sat there talking for the next half hour. Speranza said everything he expected her to say and more. When they were interrupted by a knock at the door, Severus was feeling better than he had since the day Ursula and he fought.

"Come in," Speranza said.

Luca entered the room.

"I hope I am not interrupting," he began.

"Of course not," Speranza replied.

Before Luca had a chance to say anything else, Lucien burst into the room. He was furious.

"Why can I not come!" he demanded his elder brother. "Father said I could not."

"And he is absolutely right," Luca responded. "You are too young."

"Too young? I am already seventeen, legally a full-grown wizard! And in two months I will eighteen!"

Lucien was throwing a temper fit very similar to the ones his nephew would throw in later years. The middle son, Lucius had left Hogwarts a few years earlier. Although he certainly did not need to work to support himself, his father owned an enormous amount of wizard gold, Lucius was working at the Ministry of Magic in one of the more influential departments. He and Narcissa Black were to be married later on that year, but he rarely came to the manor.

"When you leave Hogwarts, you will be able to come," assured Luca. "Until then… you must stay in your room."

"This is not fair!" Lucien shouted as he stormed out of the room. Sidonius entered the room moments after his departure.

"Speranza," Luca held out his hand to her. "Our _guests_ will be arriving in a few minutes. We should be preparing to welcome them."

Before she took his hand to leave the room, Speranza leaned over to whisper in Severus' ear.

"Stay in your room tonight. Keep Sidonius with you. Under no circumstances, and I mean none, are you to leave this room. Whatever noises you might hear, you must stay here."

She took Luca's hand, and as they closed the door, Severus heard a lock on the outside of the door click. He and his brother were locked in.

* * *

Speranza's warning to stay inside no matter what he heard and the subsequent locking of the door from the outside concerned Severus greatly.

"Lucy said that they have parties all of the time and she is never allowed to go downstairs," Sidonius informed his elder brother. "Once she tried to see what they were all about, and she got caught by Luca. Now a house elf stands guard outsider her door. What do you think that means, Sev?"

"I have no idea," he answered truthfully.

It was no secret within the Slytherin line families where the present Lord Julian Malfoy's loyalties lie… Lord Voldemort. The past few years had brought a great rise of power in both Voldemort and the Malfoy clan. Julian Malfoy had been given power and riches the like many of his peers had never seen. It was whispered amongst the families that Julian was his right-hand man.

"Surely this isn't a party for… _him_?" Severus whispered to himself.

Severus' own father was a Voldemort supporter. While never one to get his own hands dirty, his father stayed away from any actual bidding from the Dark Lord. It was his greatest day, however, when both Sterne and Schuyler announced they had taken the mark of Voldemort. It was also his worst day when Simon refused to, and left for Andorra. What the mark was, Severus was uncertain. He only knew that his two eldest brothers wasted no time in receiving one and Simon preferred disownment and exile.

"The Missus Luca Malfoy asked Cobby to bring dinner to her brothers," announced one of the two house elves who had Apparated into the room.

"Missus Speranza is very good to the house elves," the second elf began. "Once when Dobby spilled…"

"Hush, Dobby!" ordered Cobby. It was difficult for Severus to keep their names and faces straight. They looked even more identical than most elves do normally. "Cobby wishes to apologize to Misters Snape for Cobby's brother Dobby."

Severus was relieved when the brother elves left their room.

"Sev?" his younger brother turned to him while they ate.

"Yes?" He was in a dreadful mood, but tried to not be short with his brother.

"Lucy told me that you and Miss Albrecht had a fight in the entrance hall the other day. Is that true?"

"Yes, it is, Sid."

"Tell her you are sorry."

His words took him aback.

"What?" Severus asked, curious as to why he would say such a thing.

"Because I like her," Sidonius stated plainly. "She is always very nice to me even though I am just a first year. Most of the other seventh years from the other houses like to push us around."

Instantly Severus was reminded of Potter and Black. He had not thought of it before, but he wondered if they had ever tried taking their hatred of him out on his younger brother. It seemed exactly the kind of thing they would do.

"Sidonius, have any of the older Gryffindors done something to you?"

"Well," he began. Severus could feel anger begin to bubble up inside of him. "Once that Sirius Black said something to me in the hallway. I was shocked that a seventh year would talk to me at all, but then he started talking about you."

"Yes, but did he _do_ anything to you?" It was to be expected that Black would try to poison his own brother's thoughts about him. But if he touched him or harmed him in any way, Severus was ready to kill him.

"No, he started to," Sid answered, warily. He obviously did not want Severus to do anything rash. "He said it would be funny to hang me upside down in the air."

Severus felt the embarrassment of the day of his Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L return, mixed in with intense amounts of rage. If Black had humiliated Sidonius like Potter humiliated him…

"But his friend stopped him. Said it wasn't right. Their quarrel was with 'Severus Snape, not little Snape'."

"Who stopped him?" Would Potter have stopped Black? It made no sense to him.

"I do not know his name. Gryffindor prefect, pale, never looks well."

"Lupin?" Severus said aloud, but to himself.

It made the most sense for Remus Lupin to be the one to stop Black's antics. He had never been one to care what his blasted mates did until their sixth year, until the Whomping Willow. Lupin had been livid with Black for pulling such a stunt. It was true that in his werewolf form he could have killed Severus. Both Black and Potter left him alone for the rest of the school term at Lupin's insistence. Severus found himself reluctantly grateful to Remus Lupin for sparing his younger brother from Black's humiliating prank.

"If any of them come near you again, tell me at once," Severus ordered him before returning to his dinner.

"I will," he promised.

They sat there in silence for the next few minutes finishing their meal. Severus had hoped his first evening with Speranza could have been spent in front of the fireplace eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans while he told her all about school, but there was no point wishing for what could not be. Finally, Sidonius broke the silence.

"She makes you happy," was all he said.

"What?" Severus asked, nearly choking on his pumpkin juice.

"Miss Albrecht makes you happy," he replied. "You usually are not very happy unless you are with Speranza. At school when you are alone you never look happy. But with Ursula… you actually smile sometimes."

Gods, he was right. Other than the times Severus spent at Snape Manor with Speranza, there were very few times without Ursula that he was happy.

"Apologize to her. Make it right," he insisted. "Whatever it was that made you quarrel you should fix it. Even you deserve some happiness, Sev."

His younger brother surprised Severus. As the youngest child, Severus always assumed he was childish and immature. His knack for getting into trouble constantly aided that thought. But that night he looked at him and did not see just his little brother. He saw a wizard who was beyond his nearly twelve years. At home Severus took it upon himself to do his utmost to shield him from the violence constantly plaguing their family. Father liked to drink and take it out on Mother. If Severus ever got in his way during one of his 'moods' he caught his fair share. Speranza and Severus did all they could to protect Sid, but looking at him he could tell that was all too familiar with how unhappy Severus' life at home could be. No doubt three months at Hogwarts had taught him a few things about how his brother was treated by the other students. He knew Severus was unhappy, and beyond that, he knew what would make him happy.

"What would you suggest I do to make it right?" Severus asked him genuinely.

"We are stuck here for the next few weeks, so apologizing face to face will be impossible… for now,"

He seemed to have it all figured out. "Send her an owl. Tell her that you are sorry for doing whatever you did the other day. Say nice things and it will work itself out."

"And how do you know this will work?" Severus could feel his mood lightening considerably.

"Girls like it when you apologize, even if you did nothing wrong. Trust me. I don't know how many times I have had to apologize to Lucy for something that she did and blamed on me."

They both laughed.

"Yes, I suppose they do like it when we apologize," he said. "Send her an owl? Simple as that?"

"The only hard part of it would be the delivery, and that's for your owl Abir to worry about."

He made sense. A simple owl to Ursula would surely not solve everything, but it would help Severus felt sure. He crossed the room to a desk to find a blank piece of parchment.

"Mention something about the greenhouses," Sid said once his brother had his quill and parchment.

"The greenhouses? Why?"

"That's your special place, is it not?"

"Well… yeah. How do you know that?"

"I've seen you two go in there a lot. And… and once I was in the corridor walking behind Sirius Black. He was complaining to his friends about you and Ursula always being in the greenhouses together."

Severus laughed to himself thinking about the time Black and Potter chased the two of them through the secret rooms of the greenhouses. That had been the night of their first kiss. Determined to make things right between them, he sat down at the desk to write an apology letter to Ursula.

"This should not be that difficult," he said to himself as he dipped his quill into the ink.

Once the quill made contact with the parchment the words began to flow. Severus stumbled through the right words to say, hoping desperately he was saying what needed to be said.

_Dear Ursula, _

_Writing these words down on parchment is by no means the right thing for me to do, but I find that presently saying them while looking into your eyes is not possible. And as I cannot bear for any longer length of time to pass before I can say them to you, I find this is my only option. I behaved foolishly the other day. I wish I could take back the hurtful things I said to you, but as I cannot, I must ask for your forgiveness. You were being honest with me, and I was defensive. If I jeopardized our relationship in any way, I am not sure what I would do. Please accept my apology and forgive me. There is much I need to learn about opening myself up to another. I promise to try harder in the future, and be slower to anger. Please, Ursula, I do not want to lose what we have because of one fight. I hope to receive a response from you, but understand if I do not. _

_Severus _

"What do you think?" He asked Sidonius, thrusting the parchment in his hand.

"It's a bit formal, don't you think? And you didn't say a thing about the greenhouses."

"Too formal?"

"It's better than, 'Hey babe! Sorry for being an idiot. Forgive me. Love ya, Severus!', but… formal. But if she is anything like you, send it that way."

"Does that mean you find me…"

"Boring? Stuffy? Way too proper for your own good?" He raised his eyebrow at Severus, reminiscent of his own facial expression. "No, you are who you are. Send it that way."

Severus called to his eagle owl Abir from his cage across the room. Swiftly he flew to perch himself on his knee. He took the parchment, rolled it up, and tied it onto his leg. Sidonius opened a window for him, and he took off to deliver the letter straight to Ursula.

"Hey, Sev, come look at this," Sidonius said, hanging his head out of the window partially.

Dozens of men and women dressed in black robes were Apparating onto the grounds of the Malfoy estate. This would not have seemed strange to Severus if not for the fact that they all seemed to be wearing the same thing.

"Is that Sterne?" Sid pointed to a wizard, clad all in black, walking up the front walk.

"Yes, I think it is."

What was Severus' eldest brother doing there, he wondered. He lived in an entirely different part of the country. But, he reminded himself, his wife was the daughter of Julian Malfoy's younger brother. No doubt if there was a Malfoy party, relatives were invited. Still, it seemed strange for him to be there.

"There's Schuyler too," Sid pointed to another of their brothers. "Do you think this has something to do with the funny mark they have on their arms?"

"You know about the mark?" Severus asked, shocked. The only reason he knew anything about it was because he eavesdropped once when they were speaking to their father.

"I heard Sterne talking about it with Simon before he left. They did not know I was in the room. When I asked what he meant, Sterne showed me. He then asked me if I wanted to get one just like it when I got older."

"What did you say?"

"I said I thought it was ugly and wanted nothing like it on my arm. Then he got mad, said something about showing respect for true power, and then left. Simon left the next day."

They stopped looking out the window once everyone seemed to enter the house. Straining their ears to hear, no sounds came from the downstairs. Sid suggested that Speranza had placed some kind of silencing charm on the door, and Severus realized his thought had some merit. They passed the time by playing a game of wizard's chess. While Sidonius was an excellent player and continued to steadily get better, Severus won that game.

Almost three hours after being magically locked into the room, Severus heard a tapping on the window. Rising from his chair, he opened the window to admit his owl Abir. He should not have returned as quickly as he did, so Severus checked him over for any visible ailments. When he found none, he voiced my concern to Sidonius.

"Where does Ursula live?" he asked.

"She lives… uhh, I am not sure actually."

"If she does not live far from here, maybe Abir has brought your reply."

It seemed ridiculous that Severus had not thought of such a simple answer. He untied the rolled piece of parchment and took it from Abir's leg. Sidonius fed him some owl treats while he opened it. His brother was correct. It was Ursula's reply. He would have to remember to ask her exactly where she lived. For the time being he nervously began to read her letter.

_Dear Severus, _

_I was surprised to receive your owl this evening, but I am pleased nonetheless. It was surprising, but welcome. Of course I will accept your apology and forgive you. I only ask that you too forgive me. Neither of us handled the situation very well the other day. My words were not chosen very well, I'm afraid. I should have explained myself better or not said anything at all. You are very special to me, and I regret hurting you like I did. Once I had calmed down in the greenhouse I had hoped to seek you out and apologize. When I could not find you and when I realized you were not looking for me, I was afraid you were still angry with me. I even asked Cordelia how you were, but she said she had not seen you either. We only have a few weeks of holiday to enjoy. I am anxiously awaiting our return to Hogwarts and the rest of the year._

_Love, Ursula_

Severus reread the letter several times to be certain it was real. They had only had a quarrel. She was not angry with him anymore.

"Good news?" Sidonius asked as he climbed into his bed.

"Very," he replied, folding up the letter.

The door to their room swung open and they were joined once more with Speranza. She looked exhausted and wary. Severus had rarely seen her look so tired. She was dressed in a simple, black robe, exactly as the others had been.

"Oh, good. I did not miss you two before bed," she said, covering Sidonius with his blanket. "I wanted to be sure you two were comfortable before I went to bed."

"Are you all right?" Severus asked her.

"What? Yes, perfectly fine. Parties take a lot out of me, that's all."

"There seemed to be a lot of guests from what we could see from the window."

Her eyes widened as she turned to look at him.

"You… you saw the guests?"

"Just a glimpse of them when I was sending an owl. Look… Ursula and I made up," Severus put the letter in her hand to change the subject.

"That's wonderful, Russie," she said, kissing his cheek. "I am very happy for you."

"Why are you wearing such an ugly robe?" Sid asked from his bed.

"I beg your pardon?" teased Speranza.

"I'm sorry, but it is not usually the kind of robe you wear. Sev and I saw Sterne and Schuyler outside in black robes too. Does that mean you have a strange mark on your arm too?"

The question was innocent enough, from Sid's point of view at least. Speranza's cheeks turned bright red and instantly her eyes dropped to look down at the floor. She did not respond to the question. Fearing that his beautiful sister had been marred by the darkness as his two brothers had, Severus reached for her left forearm. She struggled with him, but he was quite a bit stronger than she. Pulling the sleeve of her robe up her arm he saw several large, purple bruises on her arm, proof that someone had been hurting her. That was not even the most shocking part of her arm. There it was on her forearm… the Dark Mark. While he had only a vague idea what it was then, Severus nonetheless grew very angry with his sister.

"Why do you have this?" he demanded of her.

She said nothing. He could see the tears roll down her cheeks and splash on her arm.

"I never dreamed this was where your loyalties lie," Severus spat out at her, still holding firmly to her arm. "You used to speak against following the path of our brothers."

"Severus, please," she cried, wrenching her arm out of his grasp. Swiftly, she pulled her sleeve back down.

Looking at her face it dawned on him. This was not her choice.

"He made you do this, didn't he!" Severus raised his voice, only making her cry harder.

"Who?" she managed to squeak out between cries.

"Luca made you take the mark! How could you let that happen?"

This was not the sister he had been raised by. She seemed almost a stranger to him. The Speranza he knew would never have let someone take complete control over her like that.

"Please, Severus," she pleaded. "You must understand. I have to do what my husband tells me. As the wife of Luca Malfoy, it was expected of me to… to… take it."

Their yelling match was interrupted by the abrupt opening of the bedroom door and the sudden appearance of a drunken Luca. He looked furious as he crossed the room to grab hold of Speranza's arm.

"Why are you not downstairs!" he demanded of her.

"I wished to say good night," she whispered, dropping her eyes from her husband's.

"You are not supposed to leave until it is all over!" He raised his hand and brought it down firmly across her cheek.

"You bastard!" Severus jumped at him, but even inebriated his reflexes were better than his.

"_Impedimenta_!"

Severus was stopped before he had a chance to even touch him.

"You were supposed to wait with the other women in the drawing room!" he continued to yell. "I went to look for you and they said they had no idea where you were."

"I am very sorry," she whispered. She was visibly flinching, obviously awaiting the next blow.

"It is not I whom you should be apologizing to. You will come back down with me until the end!"

He grabbed hold of her arm and began to drag her from the room. Severus tried to follow, but Luca had placed barriers and locking spells around the room. Powerless to go after her, he sunk into a nearby chair.

Severus did not understand at seventeen exactly what a Death Eater was. The actual name had never even entered his vocabulary. What he knew of them was only bits and pieces he had heard from others. But whatever they were, he knew his sister was now a part of them. Her husband, a wizard who had claimed for years that he loved her, had forced her to give up everything she believed in and to bow before the darkest wizard their world had ever known.

Severus hated Speranza. He hated that she was too weak to say no. He hated that she was to be in the service of Lord Voldemort for the rest of her life because of her husband. But most of all, he hated Luca Malfoy for doing it her. Severus swore to himself that night that no matter what it took, Malfoy was going to pay for turning his sister into someone he did not even know.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The next morning Sid and Severus were informed by the house elf Cobby that they would be returning to Snape Manor for the remainder of the holiday. Sid asked after Speranza, but the elf would say nothing about her. While Severus was genuinely worried about his sister, being face to face with her after the previous evening was not something he wished to experience. They both needed some time to recover.

"You don't really hate Speranza, do you?" Sidonius asked his brother quietly once they had Flooed to their own home.

Severus paused to think of the right way to phrase his response. Speranza was his sister, and he loved her. He would always love her, but he was deeply disappointed in her choices.

"It is not her fault," Sidonius seemed desperate to defend their sister. "Father made her marry Luca, and Luca made her take the mark, whatever that means."

"She could have said 'no'," Severus replied, although secretly knowing she could not have.

"Girls who disobey their father are punished. Women who disobey their husbands are punished," he explained. "Maybe Speranza said 'no', but she got tired of being punished."

He hated to admit it, but his eleven-year-old brother was making sense once again. The past few years before he marriage, Severus had noticed her giving in to Father a lot easier than she had when they were younger. She had also become steadily weaker and easier to tire. He noticed she fought less with our father.

"No, I don't hate her," Severus finally replied. "I am very disappointed with her though."

"I hate Luca," Sid stated firmly.

"Yes, so do I."

Flottie, one of their house elves entered the room. She held in her tiny, grubby hand an envelope.

"Flottie is to give this letter directly to Master Severus," she announced, handing it to him.

The handwriting on the envelope was without a doubt his sister's. He snuck up to the privacy of his own room to read it.

_Dear Russie, _

_What could I possibly say to make what happened last night between us right? Sorry is by no stretch of the imagination enough. Last night you met a person I have longed wished you would never meet. Marriage to Luca has been difficult to say the least. I find it hard to rise out of bed each morning to face him and his horrible family. Every moment I spend here is a moment in hell, but this is my life. Because of a decision my father made, I am stuck here. I never wanted you to see the weak person I have had to become. She is a humiliation to the sister you love so much. _

_Luca forced me to take the mark, branded forever a follower of one I hate. My alternative was death and while that does seem lovely after last night, I know I cannot leave yet. I still have to be here for you and for Sidonius. I long to see the day when you marry the girl of your dreams and have a family. I know that one day you will make an amazing advancement in potions, and I wish to be there for you to accept your medal from the Minister of Magic. So many dreams I have for you. If I have to be marked to be alive to witness your life, then so be it. You are very special to me. _

_Please forgive me for not having the strength to stand up for myself. I greatly appreciate you attempting to come to my aid last night, but I must ask you not to do it again. Luca is my husband. You and I must respect that. _

_Please try to explain this to Sidonius. He is young, but he sees and understands much more than we give him credit for. I want you to know how pleased I was to hear about you and Ursula. Hold on to her. She seems just the person you need right now. _

_All my love, Speranza _

Severus crumpled up the letter in his hand and cast it aside.

"Was that a letter from her?" Sid asked as he entered his room.

His silence answered his question. They had hardly said a word to each other since Speranza left with Luca to rejoin the 'party'. Neither of them quite knew what to say.

"It will all turn out all right, won't it, Sev?" His brother asked him, nervously.

"I don't know, Sidonius."

* * *

Severus felt physically sick when he returned to Hogwarts after the holiday. Nothing had been resolved or changed since that first night at Malfoy Manor. Speranza had not received a reply to her letter. She had not sent another one.

"Can you believe it?" Severus heard Cordelia shriek from a compartment at the rear of the Hogwarts Express.

Cordelia sounded excited about something. Not wanting rain his bad mood down and ruin hers, he opted to find another compartment to sit in. He had looked for Ursula on the platform and then again briefly on the train, but there was no trace of her. She was probably seated with her housemates near the front of the train.

"Quick, Severus, in here," Evan Rosier snuck up behind him and led him into the compartment where most of the other Slytherin seventh year wizards were seated.

"Close the door before Cordelia sees we have Gary with us," begged Vincent Crabbe, the elder.

Severus was not looking for company on the trip back to Hogwarts. Spending the holiday by himself in his room had given him almost no tolerance for his fellow magical kind. And to top it off, the compartment held none other than Lucien Malfoy. Severus cringed when he realized he was about to have to face him again.

"Hello, Severus," Lucien said coolly. He seemed amused by something Severus knew not of.

"Lucien," was all he said as he took a seat next to the window. Evan sat on his left.

"Cordelia has been attacking people since she got here," Evan informed him.

"Attacking? Why?" He asked indifferently.

"It appears our ole mate Mr. Gary Goyle finally asked her to marry him over the break," Evan explained. "Cordelia has been showing off the lovely stone he placed on her hand."

"Oh," Severus said, looking over at Gary's reddened face. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," he blushed.

How Cordelia found life with Gary Goyle appealing Severus had no idea. They had been seeing each other off and on since their third year. It saddened him to be quite honest. Cordelia was an amazingly talented witch who could have done absolutely anything she wanted to. Instead of being a professor like she had dreamed of, she became just the wife of Gary Goyle and the future mother of Gregory, two of the most dimwitted wizards Severus would ever know.

"Enjoy your holiday, did you, Severus?" asked Lucien.

An unwelcome smirk crept across his face. Wonderful, here he would begin.

"It was fine, Lucien," he lied before turning to look outside.

"It was a shame you had to return home so early," he continued. "There were several great parties after you left."

"Oh, so your daddy finally let you attend one then?" Severus asked knowing he would strike a nerve.

"Luca told me how dreadful and disrespectful Speranza was being," He too was trying to wound him. "I was amazed he even let her live after showing such disrespect for the Guest of Honor. Apparently she hesitated before kissing his robes. Then she left before the festivities were over. Absolutely amazing that Luca spared her."

Severus could feel the all too familiar feeling of his anger bubbling up inside of him. How dare Lucien say such things about his sister.

"But at least Luca taught her a lesson for the future. She had to stay in bed for three days. Of course I firmly believe it is every wizard's right to use the Cruciatus on his wife to keep her in line."

Severus should have lunged at Malfoy and made him wish he had never said such things. He should have placed some kind of nasty, diabolical hex on him. He should have yelled and defended his sister, but he did none of those things. Instead he simply leapt from his seat and stormed into the corridor. He needed to be away from him so he could calm down.

"Excuse me," He heard a voice behind him as he passed a single person in the corridor abruptly.

Remembering the owner of the voice, Severus stopped to turn around.

"Ursula," he said in little above a whisper. "I am very sorry."

She smiled at him before reaching out to hug him hello.

"You were certainly off in a hurry," she teased.

Severus was thankful her mood was light. That was exactly what he needed. They had continued to owl each other back and forth for the entirety of the holidays. Severus had neither the courage nor the knowledge how to tell her of the events of his first evening away. Eventually he knew he would have to tell her, but he had no desire to then.

"I was looking for you earlier," he informed her. "Obviously I did not do a thorough job."

"I arrived late. Almost missed the train actually," she explained. "My parents were having an argument about my Muggle Studies class… No matter. I just spoke with your younger brother. He said I might find you in one of these last compartments… and here you are."

Ursula was behaving strangely. She was obviously upset about something, and doing her best to hide it.

"Are you all right, Ursula?" Severus asked timidly.

"Of course!" she replied almost too eagerly. "I am just ready to be back in school. It can be difficult at home."

"Your letters did not seem…"

"I really do not wish to speak of home just now," she admitted. "Let's speak of anything else."

"I told you that I would apologize to you in person for my behavior before we left," he reminded her. "It was foolish of me and most of all childish to behave the way I did. I especially never meant to hurt you. Please know that I am sorry and wish to make it up to you."

She smiled at him, and leaned up to give me a reassuring kiss. Right as they were about to touch…

"That was truly a beautiful apology, was it not, James?"

Sirius Black and his mates were standing ten feet from them.

"Yes, it was truly poetic, Snape," Potter replied.

"Of course I would not believe a word he says," Black continued. "I have never heard a sincere word come out of his mouth."

"And I have never heard a valuable word come out of yours!" shouted Ursula.

They were all shocked by her outburst, none more so than Black.

"Ursula, I…" he stammered.

"You constantly prattle on about how wonderful you are, and I for one have no idea what you are talking about!" Her voice was rising steadily. "You go on and on about your Quidditch talents, but I know of dozens others who are worlds better than you are and they don't say a word! You brag about your magic and while you do indeed possess some astonishing power, you could probably be the most powerful in school if you spent more time working instead of talking about it. Words of your greatness constantly flow freely from your mouth, but very few, if any, have yet to witness them!"

Doors to compartments up and down the train were beginning to open. Dozens of their occupants were sticking their heads out to listen to the scene. Severus had never seen Sirius Black so uncomfortable. It was truly a beautiful sight and far from being over. Ursula seemed to only be getting started.

"And you seem to believe that all women were born to fall in love with you. I hate to burst your bubble, Sirius Black, but that is simply not true. I could never love someone so cruel and arrogant."

"This from the woman who chooses to spend time with Severus Snape?" Black had regained some of his composure. "Seems to me to prove an undeniable lack of sense."

"_Silencio!_"

Ursula rendered Black unable to speak. This was a rare sight to enjoy. While Severus hated seeing her so upset, it felt wonderful knowing she was standing up for him. Slowly she approached the horrified Black and whispered…

"You could never be half the man Severus is."

It was a simple comment, but it was just enough to send Black over the edge. If he had the ability to speak Severus had no doubt their ears would be ringing with the many different ways he could use profanity.

"To be perfectly honest, Sirius," she almost spat his name out. "That was truly a pathetic excuse for a kiss you gave me that Hogsmeade visit after Halloween. I sincerely expected better."

There were audible snickers coming up and down the corridor. Black's face was turning a bright shade of green.

"_Finite incantatem!_"

Ursula lifted the spell from Black, but to the surprise of everyone around, he said nothing. Turning quickly, he began to walk silently away from them.

"Oh, and Sirius," Ursula began again.

He stopped, but did not turn around.

"Follow me into the greenhouses again, and you will wish I killed you today."

With that Ursula took Severus' arm and led him inside an empty compartment. She instantly sunk down in a seat.

"I never should have lost my temper like that," she said after about a minute or two of silence. "I should have just left him alone."

"No," he stated firmly. "You humiliated Black out there. It was wonderful."

"Wonderful?" she asked, horrified at his response. "How could humiliating someone be wonderful?"

"Black thrives on bullying and humiliating others who… who are weaker then he is." Severus hated to say it, but it was true. For years he had allowed him to torment him because he was weaker than him. Severus lacked the needed self-confidence to stand up for himself. "Black needs a taste of his own potion. Now he knows what it is like to be embarrassed in front of his peers."

"Maybe, but I still feel awful about it."

Severus moved to sit on the seat next to her. Hesitantly he put his arm around her. She leaned against him and sighed.

"This would not have happened if I was not still upset from my parents' fight," she said.

"You said your parents fought over your Muggle Studies class," he said, running his hands through her russet waves she had decided to wear down. "May I ask how that could cause such a quarrel?"

She sighed loudly before she began to explain.

"My father was the one who asked me to take Muggle Studies in my third year. He felt that it would benefit me in the long run to understand them. Mother has always been opposed. She believes there is no reason for me to study such 'vile beings'. Now Father wants me to try for a position in the Ministry working in some kind of Muggle-related department. Mother of course was horrified by the very idea. She claimed that this was all because she allowed me to take Muggle Studies. She said I was to drop the class before next term, but Father forbade it. They fought for a long time."

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I was unaware your father was a Muggle supporter."

"Yes, that is one of the reasons he is steadily becoming less popular. Mother worries his stance on Muggles might hurt us one day. Especially in these times with You-Know-Who and his supporters everywhere."

Severus was instantly reminded of the gathering held for the followers of the Dark Lord at Malfoy Manor. Speranza was foremost in his mind. Was Lucien speaking the truth, he wondered? Was Speranza stuck in bed for three days straight after the party? Did Luca actually use the Cruciatus cruse on her?

"You are far away," Ursula said, breaking him from his thoughts.

"I'm afraid I was."

"Where did you go?"

Before he knew what was happening, Severus was spilling the story out to Ursula. He left out the fact that the followers of the Dark Lord were there and that Speranza was forced to become one of them. The story of her being abused and possibly by an Unforgivable was bad enough. When he finished he sat there waiting for Ursula's response.

"That is awful," she whispered. "Your poor sister."

They sat there in silence. The countryside continued to pass by the windows. Slowly the sun was going down. It would not be long before they arrived in Hogsmeade. That was when he had an unsettling thought about an earlier conversation.

"Wait, Sirius Black _kissed_ you?" he asked her.

She said nothing, only began to laugh.

* * *

Dinner that night was mostly uneventful. Severus sat there moving his mashed potatoes around his plate with his fork while listening to Cordelia tell Narcissa about her engagement for the tenth time. Occasionally he broke the monotony by looking up at the Ravenclaw table for Ursula. She would always reserve a smile for him before returning to her dinner.

It was during this seemingly routine meal that a young third year Hufflepuff's life was changed irrevocably. They all heard the owl arrive in the Great Hall. It was unusual for mail to arrive at dinner, so they all looked up. Many of the girls gasped. Silence fell over the hall as they all caught sight of the official blue envelope held firmly in the owl's claws.

A letter arriving in an official blue envelope in the wizarding world only meant one thing – someone had died. Everyone held their breath as they waited for the letter to drop on to someone else's plate. Finally the envelope was dropped in front of the Hufflepuff girl. Visibly shaking, the girl opened it under the prying eyes of Hogwarts' students and teachers. A loud gasp escaped the girl as she began to cry. Professor Sprout led the crying girl out of the hall.

Those who remained let out an almost synchronized sigh. While they felt badly for the girl, they were all thankful it had not been delivered to them. Slowly the talking and eating resumed across the room, but Severus found he had no appetite.

* * *

The end of the school arrived in record time. The months between Christmas and final exams tended to drag on endlessly. Severus' seventh year was very different. Besides being excruciatingly busy with his lessons and preparing for his upcoming N.E.W.T.s, he was given a long needed break from the attention of the damned Gryffindors.

News of Ursula's rather unexpected temper flare on the Hogwarts Express spread through the castle like wildfire. Everyone wanted to know what she said to humble the ever-so-arrogant Sirius Black. Furious with herself for allowing her secret thoughts to be said, Ursula did not allow anyone to speak of it in her presence. The damage was done however. No longer were most of the students afraid of Black. He had been reduced to a simple laughing stock.

"Is it really necessary for me to know advanced levitation? When will I ever need to lift that much?" Cordelia complained one evening in the common room.

They were preparing for their Charms N.E.W.T the next morning. There was a small group of Slytherins studying past midnight in their common room.

"Of course you will need to know how to it," Severus snapped unintentionally at her.

"And why is that?" she sighed. "It makes no bloody sense."

He was extra testy that night on account of his nerves and exhaustion. The seventh years had been in N.E.W.T.s every day for over a week.

"Because one day when you are Mrs. Gary Goyle, you will be reduced to performing simple cooking and cleaning spells. You will be so tired that the only spell you will remember will be how you are to prepare a meal for Goyle and your future brats. Thus the need for the levitating spell – sending the hundreds of pounds of food needed to feed your precious family!"

The words came out of his mouth before he could stop. Cordelia and the others dropped their quills and stared at him. The silence that fell over the common room should have been filled with screams and protests. Severus found the silence more uncomfortable. Cordelia only looked at him, tears streaming down her face. She stood up suddenly and disappeared through the door to the girls' dormitories.

"Gods, Severus, you can be so insensitive!" Narcissa Black hissed at him.

Everyone continued studying their textbooks and exams. He knew his comment only came out of his mouth because he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than for the damned N.E.W.T.s to be over. Severus hoped that Cordelia would understand.

But Cordelia had not said a word to him by breakfast the next morning. He knew his words had struck a nerve, and he was genuinely sorry. They took their same seats at the table, side by side, but said nothing.

"Cordelia, I'm…" Severus began towards the end of the meal.

"Not, here, Severus, and not now," she replied.

"Give her some time," Evan said to him after Cordelia left the table abruptly. "You were a real ass to her last night. Your words really hurt her."

"I know, but I was so tired last night," he tried to defend himself.

"We were all tired last night," he retorted. "But you were the only one who belittled that poor girl's dreams with a single slip of the tongue."

There were several nods of agreement around the table meant to be hidden from his view, but were unsuccessful. Severus knew he was right. He knew they were all right. Funny how in one year he came to care very deeply whether or not he hurt Cordelia. Before he could not have cared less one way or the other.

"You look upset. Remember… only one more test," Ursula stopped him outside the Great Hall after breakfast.

"Only one more test," he repeated, closing his eyes and trying unsuccessfully to prevent an oncoming headache.

"Cheer up," she ordered him with a smile. "The blasted N.E.W.T.s are almost over."

She touched his arm and reached up to kiss him. He had felt uncomfortable with her kissing him in public from the very beginning. The entrance hall after breakfast was enough to terrify him. Severus always felt that everyone wondered what she was doing with him. Smart, beautiful, talented and from an influential family, she seemed to be way out of his league. Hell, even he wondered occasionally what she was doing with him.

"Everyone is watching," he whispered.

"Let them watch," she replied.

Their moment of affection was interrupted by a pair of large hands grabbing Severus by the collar. Whirled around by his assailant he came face to face with none other than Gary Goyle. He looked furious and Severus had ever understanding why. Before he had a chance to even flinch, Gary punched him hard across his face. Severus could almost feel the massive black eye forming as he knocked him to the ground. Knowing better than to attack a wizard as big as Goyle, he remained on the floor.

"You will apologize to her!" Gary yelled, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

"Of course," Severus answered, pushing himself up to his feet.

"She is in the trophy room," Gary informed him before taking off down a corridor.

Ursula rushed to his side. She muttered a charm to reduce the swelling of his eye.

"What in Merlin's beard was that nonsense?" she demanded.

"I said something I should not have said to Cordelia last night in the common room. It really hurt her feelings. Goyle was just defending her."

Severus expected Ursula to be sympathetic to him because he was injured. Instead she raised her eyebrow in a way that could only be described as menacing, and lowered her wand.

"What did you say to her?"

Somehow he knew being honest with Ursula was not going to come without a price.

"I told her that," he began.

"Speak up. I want to hear what nasty thing you said to her."

"I told her she was going to be reduced to simple cooking and cleaning spells for Goyle and their future brats."

His price came. With a horrified gasp and a sharp slap across his cheek, Ursula put her hands on her hips and glared.

"Severus!" she spat. "Go to the trophy room and apologize to Cordelia at once!"

"I never believed the 'turn the other cheek' bit was true," Severus muttered as he began his walk to the trophy room.

"And don't forget to mention how big of a prat you are!" Ursula called after him.

The trophy room was a place Severus was quite familiar with. He discovered it once in his second year after he was forced to hide from James Potter. Since that day he returned often to mill around the cases. The old medals and awards fascinated him. He could spend hours there reading each plate on each award. While it was usually a private sanctuary that particular day he wished to be anywhere but there.

"Cordelia?" Severus asked the silent, seemingly empty room.

She emerged from somewhere near the special service awards.

"What do you want, Severus?"

"I… I… I came… to," he was finding it difficult to form the words.

"Better make it quick. Our Charms N.E.W.T. starts in less than an hour."

"I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am for what I said to you last night. It was incredibly insensitive of me and not how I felt at all."

"I know life has not been easy for you, Severus, especially not at school, but that does not give you the right to treat people this way."

He had hoped to walk away after a simple apology. Of course Cordelia had another plan in mind.

"Do you realize how much you actually hurt me last night, Severus?"

He sighed quietly and lowered himself onto a bench.

"I am very sorry for the way I behaved last night," he repeated.

"You are my friend. You should be happy for me because I am happy. It is a simple concept."

Knowing that by opening his mouth, especially to be sardonic as was almost always the case, would get him into even more trouble than he was already in, Severus remained silent.

"Marrying Gary has been my dream for a long time now. Why did you have to make fun of it?"

"Cordelia, I… are you sure you will be happy as Mrs. Goyle?" he could not keep himself from asking.

"Will I be happy!" she raised her voice. "There was no question in my mind that I would be happy until you put that seed of doubt in my mind."

"Are you positive this is what you want?"

"What else is there for me to do?"

"You spoke once about becoming an Astronomy or Arithmancy professor."

"Dreams, Severus. Only dreams," she whispered. He could see this discussion was causing her pain and he longed to spare her, but he knew he could not leave it there.

"I have never met anyone who knows more about Astronomy than you. Even Professor Hubble had to ask you for the correct name of a constellation. You could certainly teach the class better than he could."

Though she was looking away from him, Severus could see the tiniest of blushes creep across her face.

"I love Gary," she finally admitted after a moment of silence. "And marrying him is what I want. Even if I am reduced to performing simple cooking and cleaning spells."

Her last comment was said with the tiniest bit of a laugh. Realizing she was making light of his comments, he let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. She moved to join him on the bench.

"You are an amazing witch," Severus blurted out. "I hope you realize how talented you are."

His words were sincere and she knew it. She reached over to grab his hand, squeezed it, and smiled at him.

"Thank you," she said, releasing his hand. "But I want to marry Gary. He will make me happy."

"But you…"

"Not everyone is as ambitious as you are, Severus. Some of us are content with marriage and a family."

"I am afraid I would not make a very good family man," he admitted quietly.

"Don't be silly," Cordelia admonished him. "You will be terrific."

"My own father is not a very good example of how a husband and father should be."

Cordelia put her arm around him to pat his back.

"Nonsense. We do not have to become our parents. We can make our own choices."

"I still have a hard time picturing myself as a father. Even if it is a long time before it happens."

"I don't know," she laughed. "We will just have to see, won't we?"

He found Cordelia's comment strange. Fatherhood had certainly been something he thought of, but nothing he believed ever would happen. She seemed so sure of what his future would bring, and he wondered why.

"And why…"

Severus was cut off by the alarm on Cordelia's alarm on her wristwatch going off.

"We only have a few more minutes before our N.E.W.T.!"

She jumped up from the bench, and ran frantically from the room. Exams had always made her act strangely. He retrieved his discarded book bag from the floor before he followed Cordelia's lead.

* * *

_"Describe the Fidelius Charm and provide the proper incantations."_

_Easy_, he thought. Twenty minutes remained in the written portion of their exam. He placed the finishing touches on his last answer, and then dropped his quill to the desk. Because the fifth years were in the Great Hall, due to them having greater numbers, the N.E.W.T.s had been given in the third floor gallery. Extensive silencing spells had been placed around the area to ensure the test takers were not disturbed. The only sounds he heard were the scratching of quills and the occasional exasperated sigh from one of his fellow students.

Ursula was seated two rows ahead of him and one row to the left. He had a perfect view of her from his seat. Throughout the exam he studied her actions. When she was busy at work, she had her head bent over her parchment and tilted to the left as she furiously scribbled her response. If a question needed a bit of thinking before she answered it, she twirled her quill in her right hand between her thumb and fingers. And if a particular question had her stumped, she put the end of her quill in her mouth and proceeded to chew on it nervously until she was struck with a wave of brilliance and remembered the answer. How Severus managed to observe her and finish his own exam was beyond him.

"Quills down!" bellowed old Griselda Marchbanks from the front of the room. "The written examination is over. This afternoon will be your practical application."

* * *

"Not nearly as frightening as I expected it to be," Evan sighed as they walked from the practical application of their N.E.W.T that afternoon.

"You're right," chimed in Cordelia. "It was far worse than I expected."

The three of them had just reached our common room when an unfamiliar brown owl dropped a letter at Severus' feet. Quickly he realized the owl was a standard issue school barn owl. The letter was addressed to him in a familiar loopy handwriting.

_I wish to apologize for the way I behaved this morning. While I do not believe in excuses, I was worried about my N.E.W.T. Please meet me in the greenhouse when you get this. _

"What is that, Sev?" asked Cordelia whom he knew to be reading the letter from beside him.

"Just a note," he replied.

"Sounds like you have someone waiting for you in the greenhouses. But, hmm… who would be waiting for you?" teased Evan. "Not a pretty Ravenclaw, I'm sure."

"We fought this morning. She just wanted to apologize."

"What did you fight about?" asked Cordelia. "Surely not something you said, was it?"

"Yeah, rumor has it she slapped you after breakfast. What could that have been about?" Evan's incessant teasing was beginning to annoy Severus.

"She was upset with me for what I said… for what I said to Cordelia last night," he answered quickly, turning his face from both of his friends. "She was furious with me."

"I always knew I liked that girl," Cordelia laughed. "Always felt we were kindred spirits."

"Yeah, well, she was definitely on _your_ side."

"Don't leave her waiting too long," Evan said as he entered the common room behind Cordelia. "You are in enough trouble as it is."

Severus ignored his comment. There were lots of comments that he ignored when they came out of Evan Rosier's mouth. A lot of what he said was in bad taste.

"'Meet me in the greenhouse'," He reread the note to be sure he was going the right way, to be sure Ursula really wanted to see him.

The entrance hall was teeming with life as Severus made his way to the doors that would lead him to the outside. Final exams were over. The castle was alive with the students' excitement.

"Severus!" a determined voice sounded behind him.

Turning around he came face to face with his younger brother. He was red in the face, apparently a result of running downstairs rapidly. He looked excited. Severus imagined it had something to do with the end of the school term.

"She had her baby yesterday, Severus!" he announced excitedly, pulling out a rumpled sheet of parchment from his pocket.

"What?" he asked. "Who had a baby?"

"Who! Speranza, of course! She had her baby, a little girl."

Speranza had a baby? Severus had heard nothing from her in months, but was not surprised that Sidonius had.

"Speranza had a baby?" he repeated in the form of a question.

"You didn't know?" Realization dawned on him. "You haven't owled her since Christmas?"

His silence said it all. His face fell, and then turned a furious red.

"A little girl… they named her Grace. She looks just like our mother."

This was all a complete surprise to Severus. If Grace was born on June the twentieth that meant that… he did the math quickly in his head… that would mean Speranza had been almost three months along when he saw her during the winter break. And that meant… the bastard Luca had injured his sister while she was carrying his child!

"And is…" he began.

"Speranza and Grace are both doing well. There were no complications."

"And Luca…"

"Luca is very excited. Lady Malfoy owled Lucy that he is the most excited he has ever been."

"That is… that's wonderful."

"Of course it is," Sid said as he turned around to walk away.

"Sid…"

He turned back around, his face still seething with anger.

"You are going to have to forgive her, Severus. She misses you." He said these words before leaving the hall completely.

Severus mulled over this new revelation while he walked towards the greenhouse. A little girl named Grace… he had to admit that being an uncle made him very happy. Sure, his elder brothers were all three married and had children, but he was not close to any of them. Luca being excited about having a daughter seemed strange to him though. Most wizards in their class of society wanted sons to carry on the family name. Daughters were often frowned upon by a wizard's peers. Severus was happy that it seemed Grace would be loved and well cared for by both her parents.

"I was beginning to think you might not show up."

His feet had carried him to his destination while his thoughts wandered. Ursula was waiting for him in the courtyard where they shared their first kiss. She had a basket sitting on a bench next to her.

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I ran into Sidonius on my way here. He had some news from home."

"You don't seem very happy about it. Do you want to talk?"

She crossed to the place where he was standing. Slipping her hands into his, she led him to an empty stone bench.

"My sister had a baby girl yesterday."

"Congratulations?" She seemed confused by his answer. "Is that not good news?"

"She never told me she was expecting."

Severus did not want to look at Ursula as he said this. She knew about his anger towards his sister, and she knew that Speranza and he had not spoken in months. Even though he knew she knew all of this he could not help feeling ashamed. Somehow sensing how he was feeling, Ursula moved closer to him on the bench. She took one of his hands in hers, and used her free hand to move his hair out of his face.

"I do not want to be angry with her," he finally admitted after several moments of silence.

She said nothing to him, only squeezed his hand for encouragement.

"They named her Grace. Lady Malfoy said Luca was excited about Grace's birth. At least we know he won't shove her to the side and forget about her."

A new horrifying thought struck him, but one he could not share with the beautiful woman sitting next to him. If Luca would force his wife to take the Dark Mark and serve the Dark Lord, would he force his daughter? Or would his paternal instincts do everything to keep her out of danger?

"Well, congratulations, Uncle Sevvie," Ursula teased, lightening the mood considerably.

"What is all this?" he asked pointing to the basket on the bench.

"Oh! I forgot!"

Ursula jumped up from their bench to cross the small courtyard to the other. She picked up the large basket, and brought it back over to where he was seated.

"This was planned to be for my apology for how I acted this morning and a celebration for the end of the N.E.W.T.s."

She pulled a full bottle of mulled mead from the basket. Two glasses followed.

"Now we can drink to Grace."

Severus was surprised at Ursula. Smuggling alcohol on to grounds was not something he expected.

"Ursula… I must say…"

"No need," she cut him off. "I cannot remember breaking a single school rule in my years here. So… here is my bit of rebellion."

* * *

The Leaving Feast that followed several days after his mead evening with Ursula was shaping up to be the most exciting feast of his school years. Due to an impressive Quidditch season, Slytherin had by far the most House points. His fellow Slytherins were busy celebrating their victory.

"So, Severus," Cordelia turned to him in the middle of the feast. "Gary mentioned something to me about a very drunk wizard sneaking into the boys' dormitory the other night."

He could feel his ears turn red.

"What happened?"

"Ursula snuck in some mulled mead. We drank the entire bottle before we realized what we had done. It was… very interesting."

"Ursula Albrecht drunk?" Evan laughed. "That is something I would pay to see."

"It was terrible. I had no idea where the Ravenclaw Tower was, and she of no help. When she finally remembered where it was we had almost been caught by Filch twice."

"Out until after midnight?" Severus could sense where Evan's line of questioning was leading. "And what were you doing during all that time?"

"I told you already. Ursula and I were talking and drinking until at least eleven. Then the incident with neither of us of remembering where the tower was."

"Nothing else happened?"

"I will say this only one time, Evan," he warned. "Ursula is not like the kind of girls you are used to. She is respectable. Nothing happened. It was all very innocent."

"Should have known," he muttered under his breath.

He knew perfectly well what the other boys in his year spoke about in regards to young women. When the discussions took place in their dormitory he will admit that he listened and even joined in occasionally. Ursula, however, meant too much to him to allow her to be reduced to such talk. Everything that night in the greenhouse had been perfectly innocent… well, mostly innocent.

"It all seems a bit unreal," Severus heard Cordelia say to Narcissa. "Our last night in the castle. We might never be back, you know."

"And I for one would like to say, 'Good riddance!'" laughed Lucien. "If it were up to me, I would never return."

The irony of his statement was unknown for quite some time. In only three years following that evening, Lucien Malfoy would return to Hogwarts to take the vacated position of Quidditch teacher. The first day of his new job, a position that caused his father much shame, Lucien fell from his broom in a freak accident. He would spend three months in St. Mungo's before finally passing away. Years later his father refused to allow his son's name to be mentioned in his presence. Julian Malfoy remained that way until his death, the same year the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the second time.

"Gary and I will be married next month," announced Cordelia. "You will be there, won't you, Severus?"

"Yes, I will try."

His answer seemed to pacify her. She turned back to Narcissa to discuss wedding plans. Lucius and Narcissa were to be married in August of that year.

"How pathetic do you think the Quidditch team will be next year?" asked Vincent Crabbe.

"Terribly," replied Gary.

"Let's see… they are losing me, the best beater this house has ever seen," Evan added. "And not to mention my fellow beater Severus. Never was there a nastier pair."

"I'll drink to that," laughed Lucien.

The merriment of his last leaving feast as a student was interrupted by two unwelcome visitors. Two of the blackest owls Severus could remember seeing flew noisily into the Great Hall. Everyone grew silent as they caught sight of what each owl held tight in their claws – two official blue letters. All eyes followed the birds as they flew over the Head table, the Gryffindor table, the Hufflepuffs, the Ravenclaws, and finally slowed above the Slytherin table. His heart began beating faster as Severus watched the owls make their way towards him. He felt nauseous when one owl began to hover over Sidonius before dropping a letter in front of him. Time crept by at an excruciatingly slow pace as the final owl made its way towards him.

An official blue letter gracefully fluttered to the table. Severus stared at the envelope. The rest of the hall was watching, and he knew it. With shaking hands and a pounding heart, he opened the letter.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

_Dear Mr. Severus Snape, _

_It is with deep regret that I must inform you of the passing of your sister, Speranza Ismenia Snape Malfoy, wife of Luca Malfoy and mother of Grace Malfoy. She suffered extensive internal injuries from a fall in her home, Malfoy Manor, on June 23rd. _

_With deepest condolences, _

_Armelinda Monfriend _

_St. Mungo's Dept. of Records _

Severus could feel an influx of emotion lodge itself in his chest. Shock, anger, sadness, fear, worry, love… they were all there. Speranza… was gone. He crumpled the parchment in his hand before practically leaping from his seat at the Slytherin table. There were hundreds of pairs of eyes on him. He could feel them watch him in this ultra-private moment. Wanting nothing than to be away from the prying eyes, he walked briskly to the doors that would lead him to the entrance hall. He did not stop once he got there. The doors to the grounds were thrown open at his command. There was only one place he could think to go at that moment.

There was a bench next to the Hogwarts Lake. Hidden from the view of the castle by several trees, it was almost as private as Ursula's courtyard. Severus lowered himself carefully onto the bench. Nothing felt real. It was almost like he was living inside of a dream… a nightmare. His sister Speranza… It was too much for his heart to bear. Alone in the darkness he buried his face in his hands and began to weep uncontrollably.

In the midst of his display of extreme emotion, he felt another presence nearby. His face did not leave his hands. They were so full of tears looking upon the person would have been fruitless anyway. Whoever they were, as Severus had no idea at that moment, sat beside him on the bench. He felt strong, but gentle arms engulf his sobbing figure. The moment she touched him, he knew it was Ursula. If this had happened at any other time in his life, he would have been horrified that he allowed her to see him in such a state. As it were, however, he welcomed her and his tears only fell freer.

"Just let it out," she whispered. "You don't always have to be so strong, Severus."

While she held him close, his mind began to wander as his crying slowly began to subside. What had happened to Speranza? The letter mentioned a fall, but provided no details. Was she too weak to walk up the stairs after Grace's birth? Was there some kind of accident? Severus' line of questioning was beginning to lead to an area he did not want to pursue. What if Luca was somehow responsible for her demise? It was not an entirely far-fetched idea. Determined to not get himself worked up over a possibility without proper proof, he pulled away from Ursula's comforting arms. Before he looked up at her, he wiped his eyes. She was not ashamed of him, as he feared she might have been. His emotions only seemed to make her even more understanding and caring as she ever was before.

"I hope you don't mind me intruding on your privacy," she finally said, dropping her eyes from his.

"No," he stated simply. In truth he was very thankful for the intrusion. Had he been alone there was no telling what he might have done. Surely something stupid like leaving the Hogwarts' grounds in search of answers or throwing himself into the lake at the mercy of the giant squid.

"Sidonius asked me to find you."

Sidonius, of course. He had forgotten.

"How is he?" He asked.

"Terribly shaken up, as can be expected. Lucinda Malfoy took him back to your common room. He stopped by me to show me his letter and ask me to find you," she explained. "When I could not find you in any of our greenhouse spots, I did a locator spell. It led me here."

"Oh."

"Severus, I am very sorry for your loss," she choked out. He could sense they were about to switch places with her bursting into tears.

"Thank you," he responded automatically.

Severus felt the sudden urge to be alone. Standing up from the bench, he began to walk away from the lake. Ursula merely looked up at him with an expression that bespoke shock and concern.

"Thank you, Ursula," he stopped and turned to face her. "But I really need to be alone right now. I will see you again when I feel ready."

He did not wait to hear her response to his announcement. The security and secrecy of the greenhouses loomed before him. She would not follow him; of this he was positive. His sister's death was not at all something he was prepared to face. As he mulled over all his emotions and fears, he made a promise to himself. At all costs he would find out what happened to Speranza. And if someone was responsible… they would pay dearly.

* * *

Two days later found Severus standing uncomfortably in Malfoy Manor wearing freshly pressed and starched robes. At least two hundred wizards and witches were assembled there for Speranza's memorial service. News of her passing hit the papers only hours after it happened. By the morning of his last day as a Hogwarts' student, the morning after his breakdown with Ursula, the entire school had read the front-page article providing few concrete details about her death.

_Future Lady Malfoy Dead at 28 _

_Only days after the birth of her first child, Speranza Malfoy, formerly of the House of Snape, was pronounced dead in her home Malfoy Manor. The details of what can only be called a tragedy are few. Mrs. Malfoy had only been released from St. Mungo's the day before the incident. _

"_Mrs. Malfoy was in perfect condition when I authorized her release from the hospital," Dr. Witchazelle, the St.Mungo's mediwizards in charge of obstetrics, told the _Daily Prophet.

_Mrs. Malfoy was reported seen walking down a flight of stairs on the third floor of the manor by one of the many Malfoy house elves. She apparently managed to trip, and fall down the marble steps. Rushed immediately to St. Mungo's, there was nothing the mediwizards could do for her. The internal injuries she suffered were too extensive. _

_A representative for the Malfoy family issued a statement from the family expressing their deep sadness and grief for the loss of such a young and beautiful witch. _

_Speranza Malfoy's memorial service is planned for later this week. _

Offers of sympathy and condolences were starting to annoy Severus greatly. The last few hours he spent at school had been filled with offers from students he knew, those he had never seen before, and even from an unlikely person. James Potter sought him out on the morning before they boarded the Hogwarts Express for the last time. He said nothing to him in reply, only turned and walked away.

"Severus," he heard a voice behind him that he had not heard in awhile.

He turned slowly around to see his elder brother Simon. He had left the country several months earlier for Andorra. With his wife, Anna, and his four young children, he returned to pay his last respects to his younger sister.

"Simon," Severus replied coolly. It was not that he was upset with him… that was how he had been responding to everyone.

"Can we talk outside?" he asked him quietly.

"Okay."

He followed his brother outside into an empty courtyard. Most of the mourners were starting to Disapparate home, the memorial having ended only minutes earlier. Simon was quiet when he stopped to sit on an empty bench. He motioned for his younger brother to join him. They both sat there in silence for another minute or two. Severus knew he was hurting as much as he was. He and Speranza had been very close.

"How are you, Sev?"

He thought it was a ridiculous question, but he humored him nonetheless.

"I don't really know. I have never had to do this before," he shot back.

"I understand," he replied. Instantly Severus felt terrible being rude to him. "I have some sources trying to piece together what actually happened."

This caught his attention and his interest.

"What really happened?" was all Severus could say. He did not know how to ask him for details.

"Yes, well, obviously Speranza did not just fall down the stairs on her own accord. No, there is something more to the story."

"Who would want to hurt her?" Severus knew that Luca had hurt her in the past, but it seemed unreal to him that he would be responsible for her death. He always claimed that he loved her.

"I would have said that too if this had happened before Grace was born."

His answer confused Severus. What did Grace have to do with anything?

"What about Grace?"

"Have you not found it odd that in the two days since you have been back from school you have not laid eyes on your newest niece once?"

Severus had not thought about that until he mentioned it. Yes, it was strange that he had not been introduced to Grace yet.

"Where is Grace?"

"Our darling brother-in-law ran some tests on his daughter after she was born. His worst fear came to be."

"Grace is not his daughter?"

"No, of course not. Speranza would never run around behind her husband's back."

"What other fear would Luca have?"

"Grace is a squib."

This was certainly not what Severus was prepared to learn about the newest member of his family. A squib? That sadly was enough of a reason for Luca to want nothing to do with his daughter.

"And it gets worse," Simon continued. "Not only is poor Gracie a squib, she suffered some kind of prenatal injury that has caused her brain to not be fully developed."

"So she's…"

"Developmentally challenged is what I believed that doctors called it. Grace may never be able to live a normal life."

This was terribly upsetting news. When Sidonius told Severus about the birth of Grace, he found himself excited at the prospect of being an uncle to Speranza's daughter. There was so much he wanted to teach her and he wanted to help care for her. Learning that she was a squib and… not normal caused his heart to feel even heavier than it already was.

"Luca sent Grace to an institution… somewhere far away to hide her from view."

"Why?"

"Why? It's simple really. Luca is ashamed of his daughter. Ashamed that she is not perfect. His family wants nothing to do with her either. Hell, even our parents washed their hands of her," Simon was disgusted; it was easy to tell by his facial expressions and the tone of his voice. "So… as members of the Snape family, we are not allowed to even mention Grace. We are to pretend she does not even exist."

"That is…"

"Absolutely appalling. How can they just forget about her? She is an innocent in all of this. They just want to forget she ever was born."

"Are you going to do something?"

He turned to Severus and gave him a kind of half-smile. It had been almost a year since he last saw his brother and in all that time, he had grown visibly older. He seemed to be twice his age and three times as tired.

"Anna and I want to adopt her. We are making sure we can afford it first."

"That… that's great, Simon. She will be much better off with you and Anna than she ever would with the Malfoys."

"Thank you, Severus."

"So, do you think Luca was trying to get back at Speranza for giving birth to Grace?"

"All signs point to him. Speranza would no doubt have said no to the plan of forgetting Grace ever existed. She would be proud to have her daughter. Luca may have murdered her to keep her quiet."

"Why did he just not divorce her and let Speranza move away with Grace?"

"Because Grace would still bear the name Malfoy for everyone to see. The Malfoys are perhaps the most prideful family there ever was. They do not tolerate less than perfection."

Severus felt his stomach twist in knots at this revelation. From the moment he learned Speranza would marry Luca, he hated him. He hated his family. They were everything that he never wanted to be, but exactly everything his own family was. Knowing that his own parents had thrown away their granddaughter to the mercy of some cold, sterile institution made him ill. They dishonored Speranza's memory by rejecting her daughter.

"I just wanted to let you know what was going on," Simon said as he raised himself off the bench.

"Thank you. No doubt no one else in the family would be so honest with me."

"Just promise me two things, Severus," he looked down at him sternly.

"All right."

"Protect Sidonius. Whatever happens in the future make sure he is protected. He is young, and does not need to be burdened with so much."

"I will." Simon did not even have to ask him to protect Sid. As his older brother Severus was already prepared to do whatever he had to for him.

"And Severus… don't do anything foolish. I have people searching out the answers and when they find them, they will do what needs to be done. Don't go after Luca. He is a very powerful wizard. The entire Malfoy family is powerful. I know how much you loved Speranza, but don't get yourself killed on account of her."

Severus understood what he was trying to tell him, but he refused to listen. If Luca or one of his lackeys was responsible for Speranza's death, he was not just going to sit idly by. He was going to exact his revenge. No matter what it took he was going to make whoever was responsibly pay.

"Severus, promise me," Simon repeated firmly.

"I promise."

It was a lie. It was perhaps that biggest lie he had ever told in his life. Of course he was not going to follow his brother's advice. His reply seemed adequate enough for him.

"I will owl you if I learn anything new," he promised. "Be careful what you send to me. There is no telling who might be reading."

"Okay."

He turned to leave the courtyard. After he had only stepped a few feet away from Severus, he turned around quickly.

"And Severus, don't tell anyone what I have told you today."

"I won't."

He turned back around and followed the cobblestone path out to the grounds of the estate. Most of the visitors were gone by then. Only a trickle of prominent members of the wizarding community exited the manor. Severus was told to wait until the last person left before he could Floo home. Simon had given him a lot to think about, and he was thankful that he had some time to think in the quiet of the courtyard.

"Severus!" It was Sidonius. He walked quickly to where Severus was standing. "Sorry to bother you."

"It's all right, Sid. What do you need?"

He handed him a folded up piece of parchment.

"This was just delivered for you. I thought you might want to read it."

"Thank you."

"Yes, well, I'll just leave you to it then."

From the moment they received their letters in the Great Hall, Sidonius had been cautious around his brother. He had hardly said a word to him. Somehow Severus got the feeling that he did not want to be reminded of Speranza by being with him. He explained to him later that it caused him greater pain to see him in such pain. Whatever the reason, Sid hardly spoke with Severus. He turned from him and followed the exact path that Simon took.

He looked down at the parchment in his hands. His name was written on the front. It was from Ursula, he could always tell her handwriting when he saw it. Carefully he unfolded it to see what she had to say.

_Dear Severus, _

_I know you told me you would seek me out when you were ready, but now I know that I cannot just sit around waiting for you. I love you, Severus. When you are hurting, I want to be with you to comfort you. I want to be with you right now. Please don't shut me out. I want to know that you are all right. Let me be with you during this time. I love you. _

_Ursula _

Her words were simple, but pleading. Severus knew she cared about him. He knew that at that moment he was the most important person to her. He knew she would do anything for him. All he had to do was ask. He also knew that he did not want her involved in what he was about to do. He did not want her hurt.

Severus crumpled up her letter, and threw it to the ground. A gust of wind carried it out of the courtyard and away from him. He loved Ursula, but to protect her he was going to have to forget her.

* * *

His mother cried for four days straight following Speranza's funeral. The reality of losing her only daughter was very difficult on her. His father shut himself up in his study for almost the same length of time. When Severus would pass by his sanctuary he often saw him pacing by the large windows or staring into the fireplace. He did not eat for a week. Brandy and good cigars was his only diet. Both of Severus' parents were miserable. The one bright spot that filled their lives was gone.

He did not pity his parents. The only feeling he had for them was pure, unadulterated hatred. They deserved every moment of misery. It would have only taken a moment of opposition for the marriage of Luca to his sister to have never taken place. Even after her death, when they could have done the right thing by their granddaughter, they did not. Yes, they deserved to be unhappy.

"Master Snape…" Severus winced when he heard the piercing voice of Flottie, one of their house elves.

"Yes?" He had no tolerance for anyone disturbing him in the privacy of his bedchambers.

"A letter arrived for you in the post."

Flottie inched her way towards him slowly before dropping the letter on his bed. He rolled over to snatch it from her. Terrified that he might yell or throw something at her, as he often did, she Disapparated quickly.

"Another letter from Ursula," he said to himself.

In four days there had been at least ten. Each was the same as the last, only they tended to get more pleading and angrier. Severus hesitated before finally opening it.

_Dear Severus, _

_By now you should know how I feel… that I want to be with you in your pain and help you through it. Shutting me out is not going to make you feel better. This is the last letter I will be writing to you. I begin work at the Ministry in only a few days. By then I will not have time to worry about you. I cannot move on and forget you without telling you one thing… You are perhaps the most pathetic man I have ever met. Instead of being so busy worrying about yourself and how upset you are, maybe you should do something. I know you. I know that right now you are probably lying in your bed with a frown on your face thinking about the pain you feel right now…_

He sat up once he read that. He had been doing exactly what she said he was.

… _You have so much to offer the world, Severus. You should be doing something. Get out of your house, stop thinking about yourself, and accomplish something... anything. I love you… that will not change, but no longer will I waste my time on you. I am actually doing something, not sitting around my parents' home sulking. If my words are too harsh, I am not sorry. _

_Ursula _

Severus reached for his wand in his pocket. After a quick _Wingardium Leviosa,_ and then an _Incendio,_ Ursula's letter was reduced to ashes on his bedroom floor.

"I should get out of my bed and do something, should I!" He yelled at the pile of ashes. "All right! I will get out and there and do something!"

* * *

"Does it hurt?" Severus whispered to Evan Rosier two nights after the arrival of Ursula's final letter.

"Well…" Evan stood there thinking a moment. "Ever stick your hand into a boiling cauldron?"

"Not on purpose… once on accident."

"Well, imagine you submerge your entire arm into a boiling cauldron of lava for several minutes. And when you pull it out instead of applying soothing, burn ointment on your arm you apply hot wax and acid."

"It hurts that bad?" He could feel his heart begin to race.

"Worse."

"Remind me again why I am doing this."

"Because the Dark Lord is going to take over the entire wizarding world, and when he does… we'll have supreme power."

"Right."

Severus was standing outside of the grand ballroom in Malfoy Manor. At least a hundred masked wizards and witches were standing only yards from him. This was his first Death Eater meeting… his initiation into the legion of dark wizards under the rule of Lord Voldemort.

"I have to join the others inside," Evan announced to Severus in a whisper.

"All right," he answered.

"Don't look so nervous. The pain is over before you know it."

Two and a half hours later his left arm still felt like it was on fire. There was absolutely nothing worse than the searing pain of the Dark Mark being applied to flesh. Severus was not prepared in the slightest to be in the presence of the Dark Lord. There were always stories whispered in the dormitories of Slytherin. Lucien used to tell tales about the times he would sneak downstairs when his father threw parties for the Dark Lord. Severus thought they were a load of… well, he believed he was embellishing. Much to his surprise every horrible thing he said was true.

Severus was almost violently sick when he was ordered to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robes. The pain of the Dark Mark was still very fresh. He was as nervous as a cat about being in the presence of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. There was so much dark magic and dare he say evil radiating off the wizard that it was choking. His lungs constricted and he had to fight to breathe. The dozens of Death Eaters staring at him did not aid the matters in the least. He was thankful that he was masked. At least most of them had no idea who he was… only a new recruit in an increasing army.

"Severus…" A tall, masked wizard came up to him at the end of the ceremony. The Dark Lord had already Disapparated out of the Manor and most of the Death Eaters were beginning to leave.

"Yes?" He knew the voice, but tried to remain calm.

"Stay behind if you would. There is a gathering in the Drawing Room in your honor."

Luca Malfoy disappeared down a corridor. Severus did not want to be in the same room with him, but knew that he would be forced to. Reluctantly, he began his walk to the designated area. There were at least eight robed figures waiting for him in the drawing room. Each had already removed their trademark Death Eater masks. Seated around the room were Lord Julian Malfoy, Luca, and his two eldest brothers, Sterne and Schuyler. Lucien, Evan, Gary Goyle and Vincent Crabbe were standing together near the fireplace.

"Severus!" Sterne stood from his chair to come shake his brother's hand hand. Schuyler followed to slap him on the back.

This was strange behavior without a doubt. Sterne and Schuyler had never really paid any attention to him in eighteen years. When they were visiting the manor, they might nod in his direction, but even that was rare and infrequent. Each had their own families and lives to attend to. Neither had much time for their younger brothers.

"Third Snape brother in the service of the Dark Lord," Schuyler announced to the room. "Our family should be setting a record."

"Yes, and now if only your father would choose the same path," laughed Lord Malfoy. He had always unnerved Severus. His laughing, twinkling eyes were nothing like Professor Dumbledore's. Where Albus had only warmth and concern behind his eyes, Julian Malfoy had only coolness and malice. Calculating and unfeeling, it was no surprise his sons and in future years his grandson would become the same way.

"You have made our family proud," Sterne said to Severus, placing his hand on his shoulder. Severus was at least five inches taller than his eldest brother, but something in his manner always made him feel only two feet tall around him. His commanding presence frightened many around him.

"Severus, come here and let me have a look at you," ordered Lord Malfoy.

He wasted no time in wiggling out of the foreign embrace of his brother's and moving to stand before Lord Malfoy. He stared at him with those damned piercing, twinkling gray eyes of his.

"Your sister Speranza…" he began.

Severus felt all of the hair on the back of his neck stand up at the mention of her name. The room seemed to get twenty degrees colder.

"…once mentioned how accomplished you were in your Potions studies," Lord Malfoy continued. "Lucien confirmed this for me. Did you receive your N.E.W.T.s results yet, son?"

"Yes, I did, Lord Malfoy," He forced himself to squeak out. He hated speaking with him. He was almost as cold as his own father.

"Well," Lord Malfoy laughed. "What was your Potions N.E.W.T?"

"Outstanding," he replied hastily.

"You say that very calmly. If my Lucien over there had made such a high mark in his lessons, he would announce it with a bit more enthusiasm."

"Yes, sir. I am very proud of my marks."

"Well, if there is one area that we are lacking in at the moment, it's Potions."

His brothers had resumed their seats around Lord Malfoy. Both were looking at him and smiling. He had an inkling as to what he was about to be asked to do in the service of the Dark Lord.

"The Dark Lord has recently received allegiance from the famous Russian potions master Miloslav Kurach. Are you familiar with him?"

"Yes, sir, I am."

Of course he was familiar with Miloslav Kurach. Any wizard or witch interested in the slightest bit about potions was familiar with his name at least. Kurach was responsible for creating some of the most deadly poisons and most effective antidotes. Several different ministries had decorated him for his work in the field.

"Kurach has been put in charge of the Potions we will require in our _work_," Lord Malfoy continued to explain. "He will be requiring some assistance from our within our ranks. I have asked that you be assigned to work as his apprentice."

Severus could not believe what he was hearing. Apprentice to Miloslav Pavlovich Kurach? This would be the opportunity of a lifetime. There was no one who knew potions better than he. Severus allowed himself a moment to let Lord Malfoy's announcement sink in.

"Does this please you?"

"Yes, sir, very much so."

"Good."

A quiet sigh of relief escaped the area of the seated men. One of his brothers or both of them had apparently been holding their breath in expectation.

"Mr. Kurach will be staying in Malfoy Manor," informed Lord Malfoy. "He will be our honored guest. As his apprentice, you will be required to reside here as well. Is this understood?"

Live in Malfoy Manor? The thought made Severus' forgotten nausea from earlier in the evening reappear. He would be spending every day, every moment of every day in the home where his sister had been murdered by her husband. He would no doubt be spending a great amount of time with Luca Malfoy himself. This was not something he felt he was up to.

Then it hit him. Everything was falling into place. He would be studying poisons under an expert. He would have access to every aspect of Luca Malfoy's life at home. He would be trusted by the family and allowed to live in their home. A plan began to formulate inside his head. If he could just learn everything he could about Luca and how to bring him down…

"Yes, sir, it is."

The pregnant pause that Severus had taken to think over all he had just learned had caused the room to grow very tense. Every Death Eater seated or standing in the room had tensed up and grown very nervous. When he replied that he understood there was a collective sigh of relief.

"Excellent!" Lord Malfoy said at once. His brothers were smiling at him once more. "Your belongings will be shipped here before the hour is through. Lucien!"

"Yes, Father?" Lucien jumped at the sound of his name and crossed the room quickly.

"Have two house elves go to Snape Manor at once to retrieve Mr. Snape's belongings."

"Yes, Father."

Lucien scurried out of the room. Before he left the room he shot Severus a hateful glare. It was no secret how much he hated the house elves and it was on his account that he had been ordered by his father to intentionally seek them out and give them orders. He felt it was beneath him to do such, but he said nothing.

"You will stay in one of the third floor guest suites," Lord Malfoy said to Severus before he left the room with his brothers and former brother-in-law in tow.

"Not a bad situation you got here, Snape," laughed Evan as he crossed the room to shake his hand.

Gary and Vincent followed Evan's lead.

"So was it as bad as I said it would be?" Evan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You were right," Severus conceded. "It was worse."

"I told you!" he laughed. "But the pain doesn't last that long really."

"Yeah," agreed Vincent. "When I got mine last week, it only took about two days for the stinging to stop."

"Cordelia made a special ointment for mine," announced Gary. "The pain was gone only about an hour or so after I got home."

Evan and Vincent both rolled their eyes dramatically.

"Yes, well, we don't all have Cordelias to fix us up," retorted Evan.

"Speaking of Cordelia…" Vincent pointed out the door of the drawing room.

The rest of them craned their necks to look out the door. Sure enough, Cordelia was in the corridor approaching the drawing room. Stopped for a moment by her elder brother Rodolphus and his wife Bellatrix, she took her time getting to them.

"What are you doing here, Cordelia?" Gary asked after he kissed her hello.

"Well… I heard from a reliable source that Severus would be here tonight," She smiled at him. "Remembering the pain you were in, Gary, I thought I would bring by some ointment for his arm."

"Where were you during our initiation?" demanded Evan, in mock anger.

"I did not know you would be here, Evan," Cordelia assured him. "Nor you, Vincent. If I had known when you were _joining_ I would have made up a special batch for you as well."

"Yeah, somehow I don't believe her," Evan said in a dramatic whisper to Vincent. "Let's get out of here. Diagon Alley is not that far from here. The Leaky Cauldron is where all the action will be, if you know what I mean."

Evan led Vincent out of the room, presumably towards the great fireplace in the ballroom. Neither had passed their Apparition test yet.

"We still have time to get something to eat in Hogsmeade," Gary said to Cordelia in a whisper.

"All right," she responded. "But could I have a few minutes alone to talk with Severus?"

"Uhh, sure." He looked at him strangely. Severus did not know why Cordelia wished to speak with him, and he assured him of that with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I will only be a few minutes," Cordelia reassured Gary while pushing him out the door gently.

Severus moved to an empty chair by the fireplace. Even in July the cold, stone rooms of Malfoy Manor required constant fires to keep them at a comfortable temperature. Knowing that with Cordelia a few minutes rarely lasted a few minutes, he made himself comfortable in the armchair. She took a seat across from him without saying a word.

"Cordelia… you wished to speak with me?" Her silence was making him uncomfortable.

"I must admit that when Lucien told me you would take the mark I was shocked," she finally said.

"Well… I did," was all he could think to say. "I assume since you arrived after the ceremony, you have not taken it."

"Gary and I talked about it, and we both agreed that I not… in case something happens I will be innocent."

"Oh, I see." Something in his gut told him the mark and what it meant was not why she sought him out. "Are you going to inform me soon why you wished to speak with me or are we going to continue beating around the bush?"

"Fine," she conceded. "I spoke with Ursula yesterday in Diagon Alley."

_Oh, great_, he thought. _Here it comes_.

"Don't look at me like that, Severus. She is my friend too."

"I didn't realize…"

"Yes, we are friends. She asked me how you were doing."

"What did you say?"

"I told her the truth… no one had seen or heard from you since Speranza's funeral."

"And she said something about how pathetic I am and how I am wasting my life feeling sorry for myself."

Severus could feel himself grow angrier by the moment. Of course Ursula would speak to Cordelia about him. Women always spoke with other women about the men in their lives.

"She said she was worried about you… that you had not responded to her multiple owls."

"Oh…" he could not think of a reply.

"She loves you, Severus."

"Yeah, so she said."

"Does that mean nothing at all to you?"

"She also said I was the most pathetic man she had ever met."

"Well… if you are willing to throw what you had with her over a silly comment…"

"It was not silly!" He found himself shouting. "She meant it!"

Cordelia stood up slowly. The look she had on her face was enough to scare even the fiercest of warriors. Her usual warm, smiling face turned cold almost in an instant.

"Perhaps she would not call you pathetic if you stopped acting so damned tragic!"

She began to make her way towards the door.

"Cordelia, please wait," he pleaded.

"If you cannot see what a rare gift you have with Ursula, if you could just throw her out of your life like this… then you do not deserve her."

Severus could feel his chest get tighter with each word Cordelia spoke.

"If you will excuse me," she said coolly. "Gary is waiting for me outside."

She threw the jar of ointment for his arm at him before she left completely. He managed to catch it, narrowly missing his head. As he watched his friend walk out the door and he recalled her sage words, the intense pain of the Dark Mark was forgotten.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

That night while sleeping in his strange, new room in Malfoy Manor, Severus had the dream for the first time. It would only be the first night of several over the course of many years that he would wake up suddenly from the terrifying real scene playing out in his head. Shaken and confused he would emerge from these episodes desperately needing a stiff quaff of Ogden's Fire Whiskey.

Each occasion it was exactly the same. It begins with a long line of towering trees. He is standing in the middle of some hidden, country lane. His heart begins to race frantically, and he is past panicked. He knows that he must run as quickly as he can down the lane, time is of the essence. While he knows in his head and his heart that he must move, for an unknown reason his feet remain planted right where he is standing. Suddenly in the absolute silence come the sounds of a young child screaming. His instincts come into play, his feet unplanted from the ground. Even more alarmed he begins the long run down the lane. With each new step the lane seems to get longer and longer. Pressing on, he finally reaches the end. A small cottage emerges from the trees. In the distance he can see the figures of a young woman pulling the arm of a frightened child into the front door of the cottage. He knows that he has to get to the child no matter what. Running full speed towards the cottage, he can feel himself get close to it. When he is twenty yards from the door he saw the two figures disappear behind, an immense explosion erupts from the inside of the small house. Thrown to his feet and momentarily stunned, he finds he cannot move. He can only sit there as he watches the devastation, knowing he could not save the child or the young woman.

He awoke that first night in a pool of cold sweat. Struggling to catch his breath, he willed himself to calm down. Slowly, slowly he was able to steady his breathing and racing heart. The moon was still high in the sky, he noticed. There were still a few hours left until his first meeting with my new mentor. Still, even as he sat up in the unfamiliar bed and looked at his unfamiliar surroundings, he could not get the dream out of his thoughts.

"Does Mr. Snape need something from Dobby?" asked the annoying, little elf from his previous visit. Severus had snapped his fingers, a signal to the elves, that he required some assistance.

"Yes, bring me some mead," he ordered.

"Yes, Mr. Snape. Dobby will bring it right away."

He Disapparated from the room and reappeared in less than a minute. In his hands he held a silver tray almost as big as he was. On the tray was a large bottle of mulled mead and a single glass. Taking it from him, Severus laid the tray down on a table by the fireplace.

"Does Mr. Snape need Dobby to bring anything else?"

"No," he replied tersely, dropping himself clumsily into an overstuffed armchair.

Dobby the house elf Disapparated from the room immediately. Severus awkwardly poured himself a glass of the mulled mead. Swirling it around in its tumbler, he found himself merely staring at the liquid before him. He could not help but remember the night Ursula had smuggled an entire bottle of mead onto the Hogwarts' grounds. Strange that it had been no more than just a few weeks prior. It felt as if years had passed. Certainly he was a changed man. Only hours into the service of the Dark Lord he knew that he would never be the same boy he had been with Miss Albrecht.

He managed to force down two glasses of mead before returning to bed. The short absence he had taken from his bed had chilled the sheets. He shifted uncomfortably around on the immense mattress to find some semblance of warmth. When he was finally in a comfortable, warm position, his thoughts wandered from one distressing subject to the next. The unsettling dream from earlier in the evening kept showing itself to him over and over again inside his head. He thought of Speranza and the fact that he was living in the same place she had met her fate, first as the unhappy wife of Luca Malfoy, and then… then her premature death. Simon's words he spoke to him only days earlier continued to roll over in his mind. He remembered the letters Ursula had sent to him, and her promise to not send another. His first meeting with his new mentor, one of the finest potions masters in the world, was only hours away and he was extremely nervous.

It was after five in the morning before he was able to drift back into a restless sleep. Two hours later there was a rapping at his door. One of the many Malfoy house elves entered his room to wake him up for breakfast. He carried a large tray filled with warm breakfast dishes that smelled divine. Severus' stomach was grumbling from the lack of food the previous day. He had been too nervous to eat before his initiation. After his _discussion_ with Cordelia and the knowledge that he would be living in Malfoy Manor for an undetermined amount of time, his mind was on other matters besides his stomach. A letter straight from the Lord of the Manor himself accompanied his tray. He was to meet Kurach promptly at eight o'clock in the second floor study.

* * *

Severus paced the empty second floor hallway. Kurach had a suite of rooms in a rarely used wing in the back of the manor. Preparing potions for the Dark Lord required ample space, especially when he was taking on an apprentice. Following his hurried breakfast, Severus found himself scrubbing his face and hands until they were almost raw. Several of his robes were strewn about the floor of his new bedchamber. He wanted to make a good impression with Kurach. He wanted him to see that he was serious about learning the subtle art and science that is potions. Once he heard the telltale sound of movement within the laboratory, Severus hesitantly raised his hand to rap on the door.

"Enter!" He heard a voice boom from within.

His hand reached out automatically to grasp the handle to the large door in front of him. Taking a deep breath to slow his racing heartbeat, he opened the door slowly. Apparently he had not opened the door quickly enough because before he was able to enter the room, a figure on the opposite side of the door threw it open and blocked his entry into the chamber.

"Mister Snape, I presume?" the wizard before him said.

"Uh, yes, sir," He choked out.

Miloslav Pavlovich Kurach was not at all what he expected. Even in the first few moments of their meeting he was much different than he anticipated. He was not nearly as formidable nor as dark and mysterious. He was not frightening in the least. Severus had only seen pictures of him working furiously behind a cauldron. They were intense and showed nothing of his apparent true nature.

"Well, then come on in!" Kurach grabbed his arm and pulled him into the dark laboratory.

Severus was overwhelmed at the sight before him. At least fifteen large cauldrons standing over four feet high lined a back wall. Several tables were strewn about the room with various forms of potions ingredients arranged haphazardly on them. Shelves containing vile, deceased creatures took up every inch of free wall space. The room was filled with the rich, pungent smells emanating from each cauldron.

"Please, take a seat," he ordered in a heavily accented tone.

He obliged the potions master and took a seat in one of the only two armchairs in the entire laboratory. He sat across from him and smiled at him warmly. Already he could feel that he would like this man. He instantly put him at ease. Severus could feel all of his nervousness melt away.

"Julian… err, Lord Malfoy," he corrected himself. "Told me about your impressive potion N.E.W.T. He seemed to believe that you would be an excellent apprentice for me."

"Uh… thank you."

He smiled at him again.

"Being an apprentice, especially my apprentice, will require an extraordinary amount of work on your part," he explained.

"Yes, sir."

"All right," Kurach stood from his chair and crossed to a nearby table. Severus followed him as quickly as he could. Taking three large volumes in his arms, he handed them over to his apprentice. He staggered under the weight, but kept his balance. "You will need to study these. Learn everything from cover to cover. Once you have finished with these, I will test you and give you three more."

He motioned for him to leave the potions volumes on a nearby table before moving to the wall with the cauldrons. Stopping in front a large, bubbling pewter cauldron, he turned to look at Severus.

"There are a few basic potions that we will need to make for the service of the Dark Lord," he explained. "Once they are finished, I will teach you more. Teach you several different kinds of potions for a more rounded education."

"Yes, sir."

"In this cauldron right here we have a basic magical poison… named for a 9th century English wizard Woolsey. This will be the first potion you will learn to make. I have looked over your school records that I asked Professor Grebe to owl me. You are quite familiar with a Wiggenweld Healing potion."

He nodded his head in agreement. Yes, he was quite familiar with the potion. It was perhaps the most tedious one he had ever had to make.

"That is the most common healing potion we will have to provide for… the _army_. It is quite simple, but it must be done properly."

"Yes, sir."

He moved to another cauldron down the line.

"This potion will be probably the most advanced potion I will be able to teach you… It is a complex, magic-draining potion. Are you aware of the reason we have to prepare it?"

"No, sir."

"Ah… well, when the Dark Lord and his followers are forced to… _ahem_, visit certain wizarding families and there might be a struggle… the families are given this potion to take away any chance they have to fight back."

Initially Severus was horrified at the prospect of what that potion could do to a person. It took away any power that the person could have to defend themselves or their families. He knew that the Dark Lord used brutal tactics, but he was unaware how brutal they could be. His second thought about the potion was that it could come in handy later on in his plan to avenge his sister's death. Luca Malfoy was no doubt, one of the most powerful wizards he knew.

"Mr. Snape…." He jumped back into reality. Kurach was looking at him with a knowing look on his face. Much about him reminded Severus of Albus Dumbledore, or it would as he got to know him better. It seemed that no matter what was going on around him, he knew exactly what his young apprentice was thinking. It was at times quite unnerving.

"Sorry, sir," he replied hastily.

"It is quite all right. Now… take out some parchment and a quill. You will need to take a few notes."

* * *

Severus spent every day with Kurach from eight in the morning until almost ten at night. They discussed what he had read the night before and what he had learned. He showed him how to brew the potions properly. In only a few short weeks he had mastered each of the four crucial potions: Woolsey's Poison, Advanced Wiggenweld Healing Potion, Veritaserum and Ultra-Magical Draining Draft. Severus loved spending every free moment he had in the laboratory working on some new form of an old potion or creating something entirely new. When his time could not be spent in there, he found a private corner of his bedchambers to read one of the many volumes that Kurach gave him constantly.

"Mr. Snape…" came a voice behind him.

Severus jumped several inches off the top of his seat. The laboratory had been empty when he arrived to do a bit of last minute reading before his next exam. Kurach arrived unexpectedly.

"Good morning, Miloslav Pavlovich," he greeted once his heart had resumed to its normal level of beating.

"Good morning," he replied. "I just saw Mr. Lucien Malfoy in the corridor searching for you."

Severus looked up from his tome to look at his kindly mentor.

"Yes, dressed in his finest dress robes as I recall."

Lucien in his dress robes? He could not imagine why he would be dressed as such. Perhaps sensing his question, Kurach answered it before he had a chance to ask.

"He informed me that two of your schoolmates are to be married today."

Cordelia's wedding! Of course. Severus had forgotten all about it.

"Yes, sir, they are," he answered.

"Do you not wish to attend?" He smiled at him warmly.

"I did not think to ask," he replied truthfully. It had, in fact, slipped his mind completely.

"To be perfectly honest, Mr. Snape," his mentor continued. "I am very tired today. You have completed all of your necessary lessons. Perhaps it would benefit us both if we took a break from your studies today."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure. Go enjoy the day with your friends. Tomorrow we will pick up where we left off."

This was not at all what Severus expected from his potions mentor. He expected potions to be the only thing that Kurach expected him to do. In the previous weeks he had almost not even allowed his apprentice to attend the Death Eater meetings in the grand ballroom. He felt that his time was best served brewing the needed potions. And now he was going to willingly give him a free day? He even seemed quite pleased with the thought. Severus stood up from the table, picked up his book and began to cross to the door.

"Is there a reading assignment you wish me to finish before the morning?" he asked before I exited the room.

Kurach smiled at him again. He lowered himself into the armchair he had just vacated.

"Please, just enjoy your evening," he said with a wave of his hand to dismiss him.

He opened the door and exited into the corridor.

"Severus, there you are!" Lucien was waiting for him in the corridor when he came out.

"Lucien," He still was cool with him even though a lot of time had passed since their last disagreement aboard the Hogwarts Express.

"Cordelia asked me to be sure that you were in attendance at her wedding today," he explained to him uncomfortably.

"Did she?" He had not heard a word from Cordelia since the night he took the Dark Mark. There had been little time for him to speak with anyone other than Kurach. He had kept him busy with work in the lab.

"Yeah," Lucien shifted awkwardly. "She mentioned that she had not spoken with you in a long time, but hoped you would be able to attend. So… uh… will you be there?"

"Yes, I will," he promised.

"Good," he answered abruptly. "I must Apparate to the Lestrange Mansion now. That's where the ceremony will be held. Gary asked me to stand with him."

Severus laughed to himself, away from Lucien's view, of course. It was no surprise that Lucien was to stand with Gary. No doubt Lucien was the one who suggested it, or rather demanded it. Gary did nothing without Lucien's approval.

* * *

Later that afternoon Severus found himself seated in the back of the Lestrange's ballroom. Chairs had been magically placed around the room to accommodate at least three hundred guests. What seemed to be an entire orchestra was squished into one corner of the vast room. He sat uncomfortably in his freshly pressed formal robes. The ceremony had yet to begin. Guests were still filing into the ballroom.

"Hey, Sev," Evan Rosier sat down in the chair to the left of his.

"Hi," he greeted calmly.

"When does this all start anyway?"

"I don't know," he replied.

Waiting for it all to begin was starting to bother him.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Sev," Evan continued. "Potions keep you busy?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Kurach has a lot of work for me to accomplish."

Severus was not in the mood to speak with Evan. They had always been very different from each other. While attending Hogwarts and sharing a dormitory it was much more difficult for him to avoid him, especially after he joined the Quidditch team in his sixth year.

"Why don't you ever join Vincent and me for drinks?" Evan asked. "We meet lots of interesting women. Might help you get over Ursula."

He did not say a word in response to his comment. Turning away instead to look out the doors, he watched each of the guests arrive to take their place before the ceremony began. It was right about this time that the orchestra began playing their first song. Once the guests had scrambled to their seats, the wedding party began to enter.

"Speaking of Ursula," Evan nudged him.

Ursula entered through the back door of the ballroom escorted by one of Cordelia's brothers, Rabastan. She looked radiant in a deep blue robe. She wore her hair down, the way Severus had always liked it. The rest of the wedding party entered the ballroom, but he kept his sights on Ursula. He was still very angry with her, but somehow seeing her made him wonder why he did not fall over himself to apologize to her and make everything right between them.

"Come on, Sev. Gary said there's an open bar," Evan rose from his seat following the end of the ceremony and the exit of the wedding party. "Let's go quickly before all of the good whiskey is gone."

Whiskey, right. That was exactly what Severus needed at that moment. In the middle of the excruciatingly long wedding ceremony, he looked up at Ursula to catch her staring in his direction. She gave him a kind of half-smile before turning back to look at Cordelia and Gary. He waited for her to turn back in his direction, but she never did. Even as Rabastan escorted her out of the ballroom and she passed by his row, she kept her gaze firmly fixed on the floor in front of her.

Against his better judgment Severus followed Evan to the bar set up in one of the large reception rooms in the Lestrange Mansion. There were already several guests who had exactly what they had in mind.

"Thanks, Evan," Vincent Crabbe had approached them at the bar and taken Evan's drink out of his hand. "I need this more than you do. Trust me."

"Oh, really, Crabbe?" Evan looked put out by the theft of his drink. Severus merely stood by sipping his own glass of whiskey.

"Remember Matilda Flint?"

"Yeah, she's that bird you've been seeing for what, like three weeks?"

"Well, apparently…" Vincent gulped his whiskey down in one swill. "She's expecting now."

"Is it yours?" Evan laughed.

"It's not funny, Rosier!" Crabbe yelled. "Now she says that I have to marry her."

Severus turned to walk away from his former housemates. Vincent Crabbe's sexual life was not a topic he wished to discuss then or ever.

"Severus," a quiet voice behind him said. He turned around abruptly expecting it to be Ursula.

"Cordelia, hi," he said, hoping not to sound as disappointed as he felt.

"I am so glad you could make it." She seemed uncomfortable, and Severus did not wish her to feel anything but happiness on her wedding day.

"Congratulations, Cordelia," he leaned in to kiss her smiling face. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said in almost a whisper. "I wish to apologize for the way I behaved _that_ night."

Severus was afraid where this conversation would end. Already he was extremely uncomfortable with their talk. Looking around the room for a reason to escape the new Mrs. Goyle, he found there was none.

"There is no reason to apologize, Cordelia," he assured her. "The fault was entirely mine."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw a bridesmaid standing a few feet away from him. Turning quickly he was excited to see that it was Ursula. She was standing near a back wall alone watching the crowd. Wanting desperately to go speak with her he turned back to Cordelia to give her his congratulations once more.

"Yes, you were most definitely at fault," Cordelia continued. "But I feel I must apologize nonetheless."

"Thank you. I accept your apology," he responded anxiously.

He turned away from Cordelia to make his way towards Ursula.

"Severus, wait. There is something you need to know," Cordelia said behind him, but he chose not to hear.

Ursula was still standing in the same place he had seen her moments before. She had not seen him or she was making a concerted effort to not look in his direction. As he began to move towards the beautiful bridesmaid, Severus stopped midway. Rabastan Lestrange, Cordelia's older brother and Ursula's escort, crossed the room to stand next to Ursula. He handed her a glass of champagne and took her arm. At first he thought it was only a polite, perfectly acceptable move on Lestrange's part, but when he kissed her Severus was shocked. Completely furious with himself and terribly embarrassed he turned away to walk back to Cordelia.

"They have been seeing each other since Ursula began working at the Ministry," Cordelia informed him sheepishly.

"I see," he responded curtly. "Congratulations once more on your marriage, Cordelia. Please give your husband my best wishes."

He did not wait for a response from Cordelia. The door out of the reception hall was pulling him towards it. As fast as his feet could carry him, he exited the mansion. Standing in the middle of the grounds, he Apparated back to Malfoy Manor.

* * *

Luca Malfoy had the exact same daily routine. In the month and a half that Severus had lived and learned in his ancestral home, he was able to observe his rituals clandestinely, with no interference.

He rose every morning at seven in the morning. Three house elves scurried around the corridor anticipating his awakening. Bincher, whom Severus learned later, was the head of all of the house elves, delivered the breakfast tray to the future Lord of the manor himself. Cobby and Dobby, the brothers, would follow after Bincher to prepare Luca's morning shower and to tidy up his bedchambers.

At approximately half-past eight each morning, Luca would descend the great marble staircase from his second story chambers to the ground floor drawing room. Only members of the Malfoy family had chambers in the front of the manor. Guests used one of the two back staircases that led to the back of the manor. Once in the drawing room, Luca would sit and share a cup of tea with his family members. Lord and Lady Malfoy made certain that each of their four children spent at least an hour with them each morning.

At half-past nine or even ten some mornings, Luca would accompany Lord Julian Malfoy to his father's office to discuss business. Severus was unaware exactly what sort of business the Malfoy family was involved in, but he risked nothing to uncover those facts.

Luca would usually emerge from his father's office around noon. From there he would take a long walk around the estate to be back for lunch with his mother and siblings. Lord Malfoy spent much of the day hidden away in his office. He, however, was not the wizard Severus was concerned with… yet.

After lunch, Luca would invariably head to Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade on some form of business for his father. Lucien had been joining him since his leaving of Hogwarts. Occasionally the two brothers would take their sister along, but that was usually only when Lady Malfoy insisted that they take Lucy by Flourish and Blotts for a new book or to Madam Malkin's when she felt Lucy needed new robes.

Where Luca went in the hour or two from when he returned home, Severus had no idea. Something told him it had to do with his family's extreme allegiance to the Dark Lord. He did not want to know what it was that he did.

"Ahh, Mr. Snape, there you are!" Kurach emerged from behind a large statue in the corridor Severus had been hiding in.

Luca had just returned from Diagon Alley after an outing with both his brother and his sister. They were nowhere to be found at the moment. On a short break from his studies with Kurach he followed Luca from the ground floor to a quiet corridor on the second. He held under his arm a package, poorly wrapped, but Severus had no clue as to what it contained. When Luca heard Kurach's voice, he hid the package in the pocket of his robes.

"Miloslav Pavlovich! Severus, what a surprise to find you both in this part of the manor," Luca feigned surprise, but Severus could tell by the glint in his eyes that he was not in the least surprised by his presence.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, it is," agreed Kurach. He winked at Severus, proving that he was not surprised either. "I was looking for Mr. Snape. Miss Lucy said she saw him coming this way. Interested to see what this part of the manor contained, I came to retrieve him myself. Fascinating old house."

Severus stood by his potions mentor silently while the two wizards spoke of architecture or history or some other such nonsense he had no concern for. Thoughts and plans were formulating in his mind. While they spoke, he reviewed the rest of Luca's daily routine.

Luca was always in attendance for dinner with his family. Kurach attended as the Malfoys' honored guest. Severus was allowed to attend because Speranza had been a member of the family. Any relative of another relative was invited to dinner. He hated every moment spent in the Malfoy dining room. They were all tedious, grand affairs that made him very uncomfortable. Everyone was expected in his or her finest dress robes for course after course of an extravagant meal. Business was not spoken about. If one slipped up and mentioned anything remotely resembling business, at least two members of the family were there to stop them. Only world events or family discussions were allowed.

"They speak a lot about politics or the Ministry of Magic," Lucy Malfoy had informed him in a whisper during his first official dinner at the manor. "It is usually quite dull."

She laughed, and Severus found himself holding back a snicker. Of all of the Malfoys, twelve-year-old Lucy was the only he could stand. Not only stand, but also he enjoyed her company. She reminded him an awful lot of his brother Sidonius whom he had begun to miss dreadfully. They were the best of friends, she was only too proud to admit. He was glad that Sidonius had someone like Lucy Malfoy in his life. She was a rarity in their class of wizards. He could already tell that she would be a force to reckon with when she got older.

"But they might ask questions, so you have to be paying attention at least partially," she warned.

After the last person devoured the last bite of the last course, the dinner party was separated. Lady Malfoy would take Lucy and Narcissa with her into the drawing room. Narcissa had been spending at least four dinners a week with her groom-to-be's family. Lord Malfoy would then lead Kurach, his sons, and any other male guest including Severus into the library for brandy and cigars. There the men sat sipping their brandies in the smoke-filled room until it was time to retire for the night. Business was discussed amongst the older wizards while Mr. Snape sat listening to Lucien or one of their fellow Slytherins boast about how wonderful they were. Generally speaking, the gathering in the library was excruciatingly dull. Lord Malfoy made certain that no one spoke of the Dark Lord or his followers during this time.

"This is not the place for that kind of discussion," he had had to warn all three of his sons on previous occasions.

The clock on the mantle struck midnight before any of the wizards rose from their armchairs to retire for the night. Severud had made the mistake the first couple of weeks of believing that once Luca left for his room he did not come back downstairs. It was only by accident one night that he learned midnight did not mark the end of Luca's day.

Severus had the same dream every night the first two weeks he lived at the manor. Usually he would simply signal for one of the scores of house elves to bring him a glass of mead. This particular night the dream had hit him harder than usual. Never before had he been able to see the faces of the young woman and little girl. This night he saw the little girl's auburn ringlets and her deep black eyes… his eyes. The experience left him shaken more so than usual. Wanting nothing more than to see no one and enjoy a glass of fire whiskey, Severus snuck down the back stairs at half-past three.

He learned the secret to breaking into the library's liquor cabinet from Lucien. Sinking into an armchair after he had filled a glass with whiskey, he almost jumped out of his skin when Luca appeared in his dressing gown headed straight for the same liquor cabinet.

"Oi, Severus," he stopped abruptly upon seeing him in his sanctuary. "I did not realize you would be in here." He caught sight of his glass and smiled. "Though I must say you have the right idea."

"Forgive me, Luca," he replied hastily. "Lucius showed me how to get into the cabinet."

"Who do you think showed him?" He laughed. Severus hated his laugh, only one thing out a hundred other things. It was too arrogant, in a way almost malicious, cold laughter. However one could describe his laugh, it was unnerving.

Luca pulled what looked like a Muggle hairpin from underneath the cabinet. Deftly inserting it into the lock, Luca managed to pick the lock in only a matter of moments. Earlier it had taken Severus a good ten minutes to open the confounded cabinet.

"Lots of practice, my dear boy," Luca said when he saw Severus' look of amazement. "This here is one of my father's tricks. The only Muggle part of this entire manor is the lock on the liquor cabinet. Assuming that his children would think his lock magical and do everything in our power to use magical means to open it, he installed a Muggle lock. Quite ingenious, if I do say so myself."

That answered a question Severus had in the back of his mind. It did seem strange to him that there would be anything remotely Muggle in the proud, pureblood Malfoy family home.

"But of course we figured it out," he laughed again. "Well, I should say that Emma, my cousin… oh, yeah, Sterne's wife figured it out while we were both still in school. You might not know it to look at her, but she can pick a lock better than anyone I have ever met."

He took a bottle of bourbon from the cabinet. Nothing was said as he fixed himself a drink. Awkward, quiet moments passed until he took a seat in an armchair across from his brother-in-law.

"So I guess now you know my little secret," Luca said after he took his first sip of his drink.

"Secret?" he asked absentmindedly.

"I sneak down to my father's library in the middle of the night to break into his liquor cabinet and steal his expensive bourbon."

"Oh," was all Severus said. His own glass was almost empty. He wanted another, the memory of his nightmare, of watching the little girl with his eyes walk to her death in a fiery inferno, still fresh on his mind. The desire for a drink was strong, but his desire to leave Luca even stronger.

"What brings you down here?" asked Luca. "I come down about this time every night. I have yet to see you, so I assume you are not a closet drunk like I am." He laughed his cold laugh again, sending a chill through Severus' spine.

"I had trouble sleeping," he answered tersely. Luca was the last person he would ever share his dream with.

"Ahh, I understand completely."

He suddenly became very quiet. His eyes were no longer looking in Severus' direction as they had been only moments before. They were staring into the fire. A look of what appeared to be melancholy swept over his features.

"I miss her," he finally said before he drank the rest of his bourbon in one swallow.

This was certainly the last phrase Severus ever expected to hear come out of the mouth of Luca Malfoy. He missed his sister? The thought of him, even after all that he did to her, missing her was enough to make him ill. He had practically forced her to marry him against her will. Then he did force her to take the mark of the Dark Lord against her will. He had on several occasions hurt her physically and now it seemed that he had killed her himself. It was enough to make Severus lose control that morning in the library, but to his benefit he was able to keep his cool.

"She used to speak about you constantly," he continued, turning his face from the fire to smile at him. "How proud she was of her _Russie_."

Severus cringed when he used Speranza's name for him. This was all wrong! He shouted to himself. Luca Malfoy and he should not be sitting together with our drinks peacefully discussing his beloved sister. And he most certainly should not be calling him Russie! Fearing he might do something that would certainly cause him more pain than Luca, he stood from his chair, placed his empty glass on the table next to him, and turned to face Luca.

"Good evening, Luca," he said calmly.

That had been almost a month prior to the moment he was standing in the corridor with Kurach and Luca. They continued their discussion without even acknowledging his presence. Severus was perfectly fine with that.

"Tonight," he whispered to himself.

"What's that, Mr. Snape?" asked Kurach.

"Sorry, just thinking out loud," he replied hastily, too hastily.

"All right then," Luca said. "I have to be seeing Father in a few minutes, so I will have to leave the two of you right where I found you. Feel free to explore the manor as you like, Miloslav Pavlovich."

"Good day, Mr. Malfoy," Kurach called after him.

Severus and his potions master were seated in the armchairs of the laboratory a few minutes later. He was looking over a letter he had received from his niece. Severus was pouring over a book concerning Veritaserum.

"Miloslav Pavlovich," he said hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I have been doing additional research concerning the four major potions you have taught me."

"Excellent! One can never do too much research."

"Uhh, exactly… I have a few questions however that none of these texts answer."

"Ask away," he replied. "You happen to be sitting with an expert."

Severus cleared his throat nervously. The questions he needed to ask were very specific, but he knew he had to say them in a way that would not rouse suspicion. Carefully he began to ask them.

"Is it possible to mix Veritaserum and Ultra Magical Draining Draught and still have each potion work properly?"

"Good question," he said. "Yes, it is, but you have to add a drop of armadillo bile to the mixture."

Severus took out an empty sheet of parchment to take down this information.

"But even with the armadillo bile, neither potion will be as effective as they would be alone. Of course there are times when one must make a sacrifice."

"So whomever ingested the mixture would be able to perform _some_ magic?"

"Yes, but only a little. It would probably not even be enough to open a door, but there will be traces of magical power."

"They would be unable to cause any damage to anything or anyone?"

"The only damage they would cause would be physical damage. If they can kick, hit or have some heavy object to throw, then they can still cause damage, if necessary. They cannot however, even use a simple spell such as Rictusempra. It would be impossible."

Severus tried to hide his smirk from his potions mentor. Already it was beginning to look as if his plan would work.

"And they would still be forced to answer everything truthfully?" Severus asked, forgetting initially how important that part of his plan was.

"Most assuredly. Veritaserum is the most potent of all truth-telling potions. It is not the only, but certainly the most effective. This mixture would not last as long as pure Veritaserum, but again, sometimes a sacrifice is needed to achieve the higher goal."

"Can this potion mixture be taken without the person's knowledge?"

"Yes, it can be slipped into a person's drink."

"Any drink? Bourbon, maybe?"

Kurach began to laugh. It made Severus uncomfortable.

"You are a very inquisitive young man, Mr. Snape. Yes, I am sure it could be slipped into bourbon, if necessary."

"Thank you." Against his better wishes Severus could feel a blush creep up his cheeks.

"Certainly." He stood up from his chair and held his letter up. "Now if you will excuse me, my Marina requires a response."

* * *

With a shaking hand Severus opened the Malfoy liquor cabinet in the early morning hours. He had arrived around two, hoping to find himself alone, and overjoyed to find that he had. The hairpin was exactly where it had been left under the cabinet. When he had finally managed to pick the lock, he almost knocked over an entire bottle of brandy reaching into the cabinet after the bourbon. Fortunately, he had swift enough reflexes to catch the bottle before it crashed to the floor.

He had used the time while Kurach wrote a response to his niece's letter to brew extra Veritaserum and Ultra Magical Draining Draught. The supplies were closely accounted for in the potions closet. He could not risk being caught stealing those. Finding armadillo bile to add to the mixture was the only real problem he had. Miloslav Pavlovich did not keep a ready stock of it. Armadillo bile was a supply rarely used in his area of potions. He had been about to take a quick trip to Diagon Alley when he remembered his school potions set.

His hand was still shaking as he reached into the pocket of his robes to pull out the vial that contained the nasty mixture. He could not remember ever being as nervous as he was at that moment.

"Of course you have never tried to kill anyone before either," he reminded himself in a whisper.

While it was true that the potions he brewed daily under Kurach's watchful eye were responsible for the deaths of countless Muggles and witches and wizards alike, he found the act of setting up his former brother-in-law's murder much more difficult. Those murders were committed miles away. He was the one who brewed the potions, but he was not the one who administered them. That, at least, was how he managed to justify his actions.

He waited in the library for over an hour. It was finally half-past three when Luca finally arrived.

"Forgive me," Luca said as he crossed the room to the liquor cabinet. "I am a creature of habit. Every night at the same time I have to have the same drink."

"Quite all right," he replied.

He did the same as he always did. Severus waited impatiently for him to drink his potion-laced bourbon. When he had imbibed almost the entire glass, he thought it best that he check to see if the potion was working.

"Luca… did you love my sister?" he asked hesitantly. He was unsure if he wanted to know the answer, but asked it anyway.

"More than anything else in the world, Severus," he replied serenely, almost absently.

"How many times did you ask her to marry you?" he swallowed an entire glass of whiskey in one swig.

"At least fourteen times, I believe. She said she did not want to marry anyone ever." He let a small chuckle escape.

Mixing the potions did indeed have a strange effect on the each of the original potions. Veritaserum usually made someone cold, distant, almost as if they had no idea what was going on around them. Luca, however, seemed perfectly normal other than the fact that he was speaking freely with Severus about Speranza. He did not even do that when she was alive.

"Did you love Grace?" It was an afterthought to ask him about his rejected daughter. Still infuriated with the wizard for sending his only daughter away to live with strangers Severus wanted to know why he did it.

"I still love Grace," he answered, a sort of half-smile forming on his face. "You never got to see her, but she is beautiful."

"If you still love Grace why did you send her away?"

"It was not my choice," he sighed. "Father sent her away before I had a chance to say otherwise."

"Did you want to keep her even after the tests you ran come back positive that she was a squib?"

"_Father_ ran those tests. He had heard somewhere that administering the Cruciatus curse to a pregnant woman caused the child she was carrying to lose all of their magical power. And yes, I still wanted to keep her."

"Did you administer the Cruciatus Curse to Speranza?" He could feel his stomach twist into knots upon asking this question.

"Never!" he practically shouted at Severus, his face turning bright red. "I never once touched her with any curse."

"Who did then? Lucien made it sound like you did."

"Lucien lies a lot. No, I never touched her. There was a time during your Christmas break that Father got very upset with Speranza for leaving the party for the Dark Lord early. He sent me to your room to bring her back down. When I brought her to him, he sent me away from the room. I learned later that he had tormented her with the Cruciatus Cruse. That was why she had to be in bed for so long. Father did not know she was expecting."

"Lord Malfoy used the Cruciatus Curse on her?" Severus was furious, but tried desperately to remain calm. "Why? What did he have to gain from that?"

"Yes, he did. He always felt that Speranza was too independent and spirited for this family," Luca sighed again. "His only special way to keep his family members in line. Compliments of an education from the Dark Lord. Speranza was not the only member of this family that he did that to."

Severus found himself full of conflicting feelings upon hearing Luca's version of the past. Before he had no doubt that Luca was an evil wizard who needed to die. Now, he still felt that he was evil and needed to die, but he also wondered if he was the only person Severus should be going after. Years after these events he find himself being sympathetic towards Luca Malfoy. Severus can see much better from where he sits now why he did the things that he did, even when it came to his sister. While he does not justify or even perhaps forgive some of the actions of his past, he more or less understands them. As a young man, however, he had only one wish: to see Luca Malfoy dead at his hands.

"Did you ever try to stop your father from hurting my sister… your _wife_?" he spat.

"In the beginning, yes, I did. I tried to reason with my father that as Speranza was my wife, he had no place in confronting her. He did not feel that way however. It is his belief that any person who bears the name Malfoy is under his direct control. That is why Grace was sent away."

"Did you try to keep Grace?"

"Of course I tried, Severus," he answered exasperatedly. "While I knew that Grace was different and not necessarily in a good way, I wanted to remain her father. I wanted to watch her grow up… even if she could never do magic I wanted her in my life."

"You said your father was responsible for Grace's condition? Because he hurt my sister?"

"Yes."

"Then explain to me why she had bruises all over her arms when I saw her at Christmas!"

"Father… he likes to assert his control over everyone in this house, especially Speranza."

"I was there when you hit her!" Severus reminded him. Instantly he saw his face, even though it was already red from the aftereffects of the potions, turn a shade of remorseful red.

"Yes, I did, and for that I am ashamed. I swear to you, Severus, that that was the first and only time I ever laid a heavy hand on her."

Knowing that he was under the influence of a very strong truth-telling potion, Severus had no choice but to believe him. It threw all of his beliefs and suspicions into a tailspin, however. For almost an entire year he believed that Luca abused his sister while she was still alive. Now with the evidence that his father liked to hurt Speranza and that he personally had nothing to do with her death, he could feel a sickening wave of nausea flow over him.

"What did Speranza do after she found out that Lord Malfoy was sending Grace away?"

"She was furious! She wanted Grace just as bad as I did, probably more. My father would not allow such a child to exist in our family. When Speranza refused to give up her child and threatened to run off with Grace, Father _dealt_ with her."

"How did Lord Malfoy _deal_ with my sister!" he demanded.

"At first he only threatened her. She still did not relent, so he resorted to more drastic measures." Luca looked as if he was about to be sick. "He led her to the top of the great marble staircase in the front of the house on the pretense that he wished to speak with her in one of the private studies on the third floor. When she arrived at the top, he pushed her. I heard her scream, ran as fast as I could to her, but was too late."

Severus then felt a feeling of pity for the older wizard before him. Before he felt nothing but pure, unadulterated hatred, but after hearing his story, he began to allow himself to feel sorry for him. It seemed that he had been an innocent in all of this.

"The only ones to witness the crime were a few of the house elves," Luca continued. "Of course they would never testify that their master threw Speranza down the stairs."

"I… I want you to show me where she fell," he blurted out.

Luca set his empty glass down on a table and stood from his chair. Motioning to him with his hand, Severus followed him out of the library. The marble staircase was not far from where they had been sitting. He timidly followed the wizard up the several flights of stairs until they were at the top of the third floor. It was true that within the first few days of living in the manor Severus had climbed that staircase to the spot where Speranza fell to her death. Some macabre fascination with the place where she was murdered. It seemed stranger, more frightening that night standing there with Luca Malfoy.

"Speranza stood here," Luca showed him. He pointed to a large, trophy cabinet. "Father was hidden behind there… waiting for her. She came up these stairs, Father jumped out, and because she was taken off-guard, Father was able to push her easily."

Severus could feel the whiskey he had imbibed earlier struggle to make its way out of his stomach. Hearing the details and seeing where it all happened made him ill.

"Yes, this was where it all happened," Luca said aloud.

He moved to stand at the very topmost stair. The staircase was dark, no visible light anywhere except from a candle lit behind me. Luca leaned to get a closer look of the place where his wife had fallen to her death, or rather, where she had been pushed to her death. He seemed to be seeing something Severus could not because he continued to lean further over the edge of the stairs.

In a moment, before Severus had a chance to even pull his wand out of his pocket, Luca tripped over the stair and began to fall towards the stairs. Reaching into his own pocket quickly, he pulled out his own wand.

"_Lentesco_!" Luca shouted feverishly.

It was to no avail. His cushioning charm did not work because he was still under the influence of the Veritaserum/ Ultra Magical Draining Draft. Before he had a chance to utter another charm, he had already hit the marble stairs and tumbled down them. Severus rushed to the second floor landing where he lay. It was apparent before he even reached him that he was already dead. In his fall he had landed on his neck, breaking it.

Severus ran as fast as he could down the stairs and out the back door to the Malfoy gardens. Leaning over a large hedge, he emptied his stomach of all its contents. He knew that he was responsible for the death of Luca Malfoy. He was not Speranza's murderer. Severus knew he was responsible for the death of an innocent man.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

What was he to do? Questions with no answers flooded Severus' already-taxed brain. Surely the incident on the stairs would not have gone unnoticed by a member of the Malfoy family or one of their seemingly endless supply of house elves. He was there as a witness, someone had to have seen him. But… it was an accident. No one could pinpoint any specific blame on him, even if everyone knew how much he resented Luca Malfoy. It was no secret that Severus could not bear to be any longer in the presence of his sister's widower any longer than courtesy required. There was no evidence that Severus caused the death of the eldest son of Julian Malfoy. He could say that he was simply looking at the place where his beloved sister fell when Luca came up on him.

"Yes, they would believe that," he whispered to himself, trying desperately to calm his nerves. "And Luca slipped. I was not close enough to him to push him, as any potential witness must have seen. There is absolutely no evidence to blame me…"

The bourbon… of course. There was a piece of evidence that any of the authorities that Lord Malfoy would bring into investigate the death of his favorite son and heir would find interesting. Luca Malfoy had been enjoying a glass of his father's bourbon right before his death. They could write off his death as a simple, drunken accident, but Severus could not be too sure.

He carefully snuck back into the manor. No one was awake. All of the lights in the drafty old house were still out. Perhaps no one had heard the fall. He could not be too careful. Sneaking back into the empty library was easier than he anticipated. The bottle of bourbon had not been returned to the liquor cabinet. It was sitting on a table between the two chairs Severus and Luca had only vacated a few minutes before. Cautious to make it look like a mishap, Severus knocked the bottle off the table, sending it crashing to the floor. He had hardly time to move away from the shards of broken glass when a house elf appeared.

"Master Snape must be more careful," the elderly female house elf scolded. She silently cleaned up the mess before disappearing back to where she has just been.

Severus sat down in one of the empty chairs. He felt frightened and sick to his stomach. Luca Malfoy was the first man he had ever murdered, even if in the end it turned out to be a simple accident that did him in. More than that, Severus was disturbed by Luca's earlier revelations. He was not responsible for Speranza's death. No, he still loved her and their banished daughter. His thoughts carried on for what felt like hours. Before he had even realized he had fallen asleep…

A loud, resounding scream echoed through the manor. Severus jolted awake. The clock on the mantle told him he had been sleeping for almost two hours. Lights all over the house turned on as the family and staff, as well as the few guests came wearily out of their bedchambers. Severus walked up the stairs to where a small congregation had gathered.

"What is it?" a sleepy and much annoyed Lucius Malfoy demanded as he pulled his robe around him.

"It's… it's," Lucy could hardly find the words. She was the one who had come upon her brother's body, a fact that made Severus want to empty his stomach once more. "It's… Luca's dead."

"You can't be serious!"

Lucius sped up his steps in the corridor. His room was at the very end of the long hallway and though there were lights throughout, he had not had time to adjust his eyes. Severus caught sight of Narcissa Black sticking her head out of Lucius' room.

"How did this happen?" Lucius demanded every person gathered around. Lucien and Lucy simply shook their heads. Kurach had only just arrived as Lucius had. He appeared to be confused by the gathering. Two of the Malfoy cousins who were staying for a visit began to sob quietly. Lord and Lady Malfoy were nowhere to be found. House elves struggled to keep themselves hidden, but they were everywhere.

"What is all the commotion about, Lucius?" demanded a bleary-eyed Lord Malfoy. He tugged at the belt on his dressing gown. An equally drowsy Lady Malfoy still clad in her sleeping cap followed close behind him.

"Father…" Lucius began, but there was no need.

"Luca!"

Lord Malfoy ran to his fallen son. He knelt on the floor and held his first-born in his arms. Lady Malfoy almost fainted at the sight of Luca lying dead on the floor, but Narcissa, who had followed the Lord and Lady of the manor, managed to catch her.

"How did this happen?" Malfoy demanded.

"No one knows, sir," Lucius tried to explain.

"Silence!" Malfoy cut his son off, embarrassing the young man who was now the eldest son of the family. "Miloslav Pavlovich, is there some kind of restorative draught you might be able to provide for my son?"

Kurach gingerly stepped forward. He had been standing on the outskirts of the group.

"I am afraid there is nothing I have in my possession or can brew," Kurach answered quietly, his voicing echoing through the stone corridor. "He is, I'm sorry, past help."

* * *

Only a short hour later the Malfoy Manor was teeming with Ministry of Magic officials. Every member of the Department of Law Enforcement that could be spared were there investigating the cause of Luca Malfoy's demise. An ethereal air hung about the house. It was eerily quiet. Severus hid himself in his room. His nervous tension was palpable, and he had no wish to be considered suspicious by any of the Ministry officials.

_Knock, knock_.

Severus jumped at the sound. He was as nervous as a cat. Taking a moment to clear any fear that might be evident on his face, he carefully opened the door. Kurach was standing outside with a shrewd look expression.

"May I come in?" Kurach asked.

"Of… of course."

Kurach entered before Severus gave him the invitation. He crossed the room to sit in a chair next to the large window that covered most of one wall. Severus sat across from his mentor on his still unmade bed.

"There is something I wish to speak with you," began Kurach, not wasting any time.

"Yes?" Severus' voice shook despite efforts to stop.

"I should tell Lord Malfoy."

Severus, who had not been looking anywhere near Kurach, but directly at the stone floor before him, shot his eyes up to meet his potion mentor. Did he know? He thought it unlikely, but certainly not impossible. The sharp look that Kurach was giving him made him squirm.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, forgetting the formality that usually passed between them.

"Just as I suspected," he answered, his eyes not leaving Severus'. "I had a suspicion the other day when you were asking me those questions about the different potions and how they would react put into different beverages."

"A suspicion, sir?"

"That you were going to kill Luca Malfoy."

Severus felt as if he was going to be ill. All color, the small amount that he had due to his hours bent over a cauldron in the potions lab, drained from his face. He felt his mouth go completely dry.

"I w… was…" he stammered. There was nothing he could think to say at that moment.

"I overhead one of the Ministry officials mention that Luca had been under the influence of alcohol when he took his fall."

There was silence in the room.

"They've deemed it an accident, Severus," Kurach continued, his voice changing slightly from a cool, formal tone to one laced with warmth and concern. "And… I firmly believe it was."

"It was an accident, sir," Severus dropped his eyes back to the floor.

"I can see that. Would you care to tell me what happened?"

Severus found himself confiding in Miloslav Kurach the entire story of the night before and his earlier plans. He told him how he used to follow Luca around to learn exactly what he did each day, how he accidentally learned that Luca drank a glass of bourbon in the middle of the night. He explained how he brewed his own potions and mixed them together with the bourbon. He recounted the conversation he had with Luca about Speranza and the mystery surrounding her death. By the time he had finished his tale, Severus could feel his nerves calm.

"Luca was Lord Malfoy's favorite son and his heir," Kurach announced, as if this was news to Severus. "He will not be forgiving, even if it was an accident."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I should," he answered. "But I won't. It was, as you say, an accident. There is no sense in wasting talent like yours. Malfoy would murder you before he would listen to reason. You have to leave the manor."

"But I am here to study potions under you," Severus protested, though in truth, he wished to be as far from the Malfoy Manor as physically possible.

"That is easily remedied."

"How?"

"You shall return to your home, Severus. Your father is a supporter, is he not?"

"Yes, he is."

"Then it will be no trouble for me to move into your manor. From there we will brew the potions we need, and you will be far from Malfoy. It will only be a matter of time before he can piece together a semi-accurate account of what took place last night."

This was perhaps the first time in Severus' life that the thought of returning to his father's home pleased him. He was anxious to return to the cold manor of his youth. No longer would he be faced with the members of the family Malfoy. No longer would he have to sit at the same table as the bastard who had abused and murdered his sister. No longer would he fear that someone would find out that it was he who was responsible for Luca's death. Yes, the prospect of returning to the Snape Manor was indeed attractive.

"You shall return home immediately."

* * *

An entire month had passed in Severus' life from the night of Luca Malfoy's death. He had settled into a comfortable routine with Kurach in the manor. Uneventful day after uneventful day followed with the two wizards working tirelessly on some of the most potent potions available. They were still mentor and apprentice, but slowly they had become more accustomed and friendly with each other.

"My niece Marina is about your age," Kurach announced one day as they were slicing dragon eyes. "She left Durmstrang Institute when you left Hogwarts. A truly gifted witch she has become."

"Oh?" Severus was not terribly interested in Kurach's niece, but felt it only polite that he allow the old man to ramble on about her.

"Ahh, yes. She finished top in her course. Her best subject was Occlumency, I'm afraid," he chuckled. "Now I guess I can no longer tell when she is telling me a lie."

"I'm sorry?" This caught Severus' attention.

"Yes, she is an excellent Occlumens now. When she was a child, her parents were killed in a terrible accident. We took her in, my beloved Ludmilla and I did. Oh, Marinochka used to get into such trouble, but never would she admit it." He laughed at the thought. "She would lie all the time… never did she know I could tell."

"How could you tell?"

"Well, for one thing children often tell stories and often not very well," he laughed again. "But I also had magic on my side. How I laughed when I learned she was doing an independent study of Occlumency. Now my skill as a Legilimens is no longer useful when it comes to her."

"You…" The revelation should hardly have been surprising for Severus, but it was. "So that…"

"Is how I knew of your plans with Mr. Malfoy. To be honest, I knew how you felt about Luca and what you wished to do to him almost as soon as we met. Of course I kept silent because there are often wishes and plans we make in our youth that are foolish and not completely thought through."

"But I did…"

"It was simply an accident, Severus. I shall believe that for the rest of my life."

* * *

The day following Severus' conversation about Legilimency and Occlumency with Kurach began as every other day had begun for a month. Severus woke and rose before the sun even made its daily appearance. He washed and dressed. He shared a quiet breakfast with his younger brother Sidonius, by far one of his most favorite activities of the day. He descended the stairs into the basement of the manor where he and Kurach studied and brewed potions. There was little evidence that this was going to be a day that would change Severus' life forever.

"She has beautiful auburn hair, just like her mother's, my dear sister," Kurach was speaking of his niece as he did every day. Nothing was out of the ordinary. "Ludmilla and I were not blessed with our children, but Marinochka was like our own."

"Where is Marina now?" Severus humored the old man.

"She is working in Siberia now. I've been begging her to join me here, but I am not sure if she ever will."

The two wizards were interrupted by the arrival of Sidonius. He rarely entered the potions lab, his impression of it was that it smelled of rot and rat droppings. He was not entirely off base.

"This came for you in the post, Sev."

Severus took the small parchment from his brother's hand. The writing was familiar, but was muddled, almost as if it was written in a hurry or under a state of distress. There was no name on the front stating from whom it was from. The words "Severus – URGENT" scribbled on front. Concerned as to what it might contain, Severus wasted no time in ripping the letter open.

_Severus,_

_Meet me at Flourish and Blotts. It is extremely urgent. Come as soon as you receive this._

_Cordelia_

Cordelia had never sent him a message with such urgency. That fact caused him great alarm.

"I am very sorry, Miloslav Pavlovich, but I must leave at once."

He did not even wait for a response from Kurach. Severus rushed up the stairs and out on to the grounds. Apparating was impossible within the walls of his family manor. With a crack he found himself transported to a bustling Diagon Alley. The Hogwarts term was set to begin in only a day, so the entire Alley was full of students rushing to get their last minute supplies. Fearing something dreadful from Cordelia, Severus pushed through a crowd of second year Hufflepuffs he and Evan Rosier tormented the year before. Cordelia was waiting for him in the loft of the hectic bookstore.

"Cordelia, what is it?" He asked all at once demanding and sympathetic.

"It's Ursula," she said, pulling the arm of his robe to lead him into a quiet corner.

"What about Ursula?" Severus tried to remain neutral and calm at the mention of her name, but it was useless.

"I've just heard dreadful news," Cordelia whispered, tears streaking down her face.

"Damn it, Cordelia, what is it?"

"There is to be a raid on the Albrechts' tonight."

Severus felt as if his chest had imploded. He could not catch a breath for a short period of time.

"What kind of raid?"

"Don't be daft, Severus. You know exactly what kind of raid!" Cordelia raised her voice, but thankfully no one was around to hear.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Raids are always top-secret. How can you possibly know?"

"I overheard my brothers' talking about it… Gary was there too."

"Why Ursula?"

"It's all because of her father's damned stance on Muggles. He is incredibly unpopular. They want to set… to set an example."

"Ursula…"

She was all Severus could think of in the moments following Cordelia's appalling revelation. If her family was going to be murdered because of her father's beliefs and stances on Muggles, she was not going to be spared. It did not matter if she was currently seeing a Lestrange or not.

"How…" He could hardly think of what to say to a now weeping Cordelia. It had never occurred to him, not even after he learned of Ursula being one of her bridal attendants that Cordelia cared for Ursula as much as she did. They did not seem like they were good friends while they were at Hogwarts. Perhaps Severus had been too blinded by his own problems and cares to think too much of what went on with those around him. "How certain are you that they will hurt… _Ursula_?" He almost choked on her name.

"Positive," Cordelia replied without missing a beat. "Bastan was furious. While Rodolphus was telling Gary what they were going to do, he kept asking over and over if it was absolutely necessary that they get the whole family. He suggested taking Ursula away for a few days… until after the raid."

"And this did not work apparently?" He asked timidly.

"Of course not. Rodolphus tried his best to assure Bastan that what they were doing was for the best. 'Ursula is still an Albrecht, is she not? She is still a threat whether she realizes it or not'." Cordelia paused to wipe a stray tear with her handkerchief. "What can we do, Severus?" Her voice gave away her desperation.

"Do?" Severus knew in the deepest part of his brain and his heart that something had to be done to save Ursula. While she had rejected him, he could not, he _would_ not leave her to be murdered by the hands of the ones he had chosen to join.

"We have to do something! Come on, Severus!" Her voice was steadily rising. "We cannot just sit around and wait to hear that she has been killed right along with her family. I know you still love her. I can tell simply by looking at you now that you are as anxious, probably more so, than I am about her safety. You must think of something to do!"

She looked past him at the front door of the bustling bookshop. With a little squeak of surprise, she jumped behind a large pile of books, hiding herself even further. Completely baffled by her action, Severus turned to look where she had. Gary Goyle entered the bookshop with an air of great superiority. Even though he knew that in only a few short hours he would help to lead a raid on the Minister of Magic and his family, he seemed quite tranquil.

"Do you often hide from your husband?" Severus asked Cordelia in a whisper.

"I told him I was visiting a friend from Hogwarts. It probably would not take him long to figure out that if I am here with you that I knew something about Ursula."

"I realize that you love your husband, Cordelia," he began. "But I honestly do not believe that he would be able to piece all of this together in such a short span of time. You give him too much credit."

"You do not give him enough!" She defended her husband, forgetting for a moment that she was at the moment crouched in a dark, dusty corner hiding from him.

"I was not even aware that Gary knew what a bookshop was. What would he be doing here anyway?"

She glared daggers at her friend. Severus was thankful at the moment that looks could not kill. If they could, he most certainly would have been dead and gone.

"This seems hardly the time to tell you…" She answered sheepishly.

"All right…" He suddenly became disinterested in the reason for Gary's sudden visit to Flourish and Blotts. "I will think of a way to protect Ursula."

"Thank you!" She threw her arms around him and sighed in relief.

"I will go distract your husband," he offered, prying her off of him. "You can slip out the door while I do."

"And Ursula?" She looked at him expectantly.

"I will try my best." It was a promise that Severus intended to keep.

Cordelia gave Severus the signal that she was ready for him to distract Gary, and he descended the stairs in search of him. He was standing in the middle of the 'Parenting for Wizards' section. Severus suddenly felt all at once disgusted and furious with Cordelia. Not only had she married a wizard who was not good enough for her, but she had also managed to find herself expecting his half-wit child.

Gary apparently was thrilled with the prospect of being a father. He scoured the covers, for Severus was not certain he knew what lay between them, for books on all subjects relating to fatherhood. His face lit up at the thought of being able to 'Teach Your Son Quidditch in Your Own Backyard'.

"Gary…" Severus said formally.

He was startled at first by his saying his name. The book he was holding on some manner of topics fell from his hand.

"Oi, Severus! You startled me."

"I apologize, Gary. I did not realize that in a shop full of noisy first years you would be startled by the mention of your name."

Gary had to stop momentarily to contemplate what Severus had said exactly. When he seemed to understand, or at least seemed to understand the basics of his comment, he smiled at him and laughed.

"I am going to be a father," he announced proudly. "Cordelia is expecting."

"Congratulations," he replied stiffly.

As Severus stood perfectly still listen to Gary ramble on and on about all of the things he wanted to teach his son, for he was certain the child would be a boy, Severus watched Cordelia sneak down the stairs from the second story. She was as nervous as a cat. He tried to calm her nerves by giving her a reassuring look, but that did not seem to help. It seemed to be an eternity before Cordelia made it to and out of the front door to the shop. Politely Severus gave his best wishes to Gary and left as quickly as he could.

Severus' mind had not stopped racing from the moment he heard Cordelia tell him about Ursula. Plans were formulating in his mind, possible ways he could keep her out of harm's way. Before he had even registered in his mind where he was, Severus was at the Visitors entrance to the Ministry of Magic. One plan seemed to keep coming back to him… he had to simply keep her away from her home… hide her somewhere. The shabby, red telephone box loomed before him. He was not entirely certain how he was going to explain to Ursula why he was there in the first place. Severus certainly was unaware how he would break the news to her that her family was about to murdered by the Dark Lord and his minions.

He could only remember being inside of the Ministry of Magic twice. Once his father had insisted that he tag along with him during one of his frequent visits to see one of his 'contacts' within the ministry and again when he took his Apparition test upon leaving Hogwarts. He was no more than fifteen his first visit, but was struck by the hidden office building at once. The entrance within the red telephone booth was exciting to him even at that age and fifteen years of living in the wizarding world. Severus picked up the receiver hesitantly. A niggling thought in the back of his mind caused him to worry and wonder if he was doing the right thing.

He still loved Ursula. Something in him told him that no matter what happened in his life, he would always love her. He wanted to know she was safe. He wanted her to live a long and happy life, even… even if it was without him. But at the same time… he knew he was risking his own life and Cordelia's. Ursula had left him. Should he leave her and protect himself? Or should he do the honorable thing and save her?

If he had been faced with this problem only months before, there would have been no hesitation on his part. Ursula would be saved, his life be damned. As it was at the moment… Severus felt increasingly guilty at his attitude towards the woman he had once claimed to love.

He punched in the necessary numbers on the keypad. Six, two, four, four, and six.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and your business."

_Severus Snape, Saving the girl I love even though she has chosen to move on with a horrible, dark wizard who at this very moment is planning to attack and kill her family._ Somehow he did not believe that would fit on the single, silver badge that each visitor was issued.

"Severus Snape," he answered. "Meeting with Ursula Albrecht, Improper Use of Magic Office."

A silver badge with the words _Severus Snape, Improper Use of Magic Meeting_ spit out of the return coin chute. He attached it to his robes as he listened to what the voice continued to say.

"Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes. Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

He steadied himself for the telephone's descent into the ground. Somehow the ride had seemed more entertaining and exciting when he was younger. Now his thoughts were swirling around and he was sick to his stomach.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day."

Severus tore out of the booth, intent on getting through the damned security check as quickly as possible. The entrance hall to the Ministry was quite ostentatious and grand, but today he was not interested. He threw a silver sickle into the atrocious fountain without shortening his stride once. The guard who checked his wand at the security checkpoint obviously disliked his job. He seemed to be in no hurry to allow Severus to get where he needed to be.

He did not even pause to thank him for the return of his wand before he headed off frantically in the direction of the lifts. Impatiently he fidgeted with the loose string on his right sleeve while he waited to arrive at the right floor. By the time he heard the calm voice of the woman announce 'Improper Use Of Magic Office', he had already worked himself into a frenzy. Had he arrived in time? It seemed like hours since he first heard Cordelia tell him the plans for the evening raid on the Albrechts. Perhaps something had happened to Ursula already.

"Severus?" He did not even have to exit the lift to run into the person he was in a hurry to save.

Ursula was standing just outside of the lift on the floor where her office was located. She had her arms full of rolled up parchment. Severus was pleased to see that she did not seem upset by his presence.

"Ursula," he replied coolly. While he tried desperately to hide it in his voice, he was very worried and anxious.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him amiably. A hint of a smile crossed her lips, but almost as quickly as it had come, it was gone, hidden behind a mask of an emotion he could not quite pinpoint. "Improper Use of Magic Meeting?"

When she had finished reading his badge, she began to look nervously through her parchments.

"I did not know you had a meeting here today!" she cried out in frustration. "I cannot believe I did not remember that! Not again. I cannot believe I forgot about _another_ meeting. That horrible Mafalda Hopkirk woman will be pleased. She already does not believe I belong in her department fresh out of Hogwarts."

In her desperation to find the parchment that had his name and appointment on it, she managed to drop every last parchment that she held in her hands. She immediately dropped to her knees to scoop them up once more. As Severus had had to do several times while they were still in school and she had gotten nervous or frustrated about something, he leaned down to aid her in the retrieval of her parchment.

"Half the Ministry does not believe I am qualified to do my job," she continued to rave. "If I was not the daughter of the Minister, they believe I would be sweeping the floor of the Leaky Cauldron or pouring the hot chocolate on the Knight Bus. I made top marks in school, but do they seem to know this? No, they simply choose to believe I am only here because of my father."

Severus retrieved the last bit of parchment and pulling slightly on her elbow, managed to pull Ursula up to her feet. She was still frazzled even after he had returned each piece of parchment to her arms.

"And maybe they are all right," she sighed. "Maybe I am not qualified to do my job. It seems I cannot even remember a scheduled meeting with my former…" She stopped herself, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

"It is not your fault," he replied hastily to cover the awkward silence that fell between them after her comment. "My meeting is purely impromptu."

"Oh…" Relief was written all over her face. It was soon followed by confusion and interest. "Then why…"

Severus noticed the look in her eyes for the first time since he had gotten off the lift. Before he had been able to avert eye contact, but when he finally looked into her deep, blue eyes he saw intense fatigue in them. She did not seem to be well.

"Ursula… are you all right?" He asked, trying to sound as neutral and indifferent as possible.

"What? Oh… I'm just a little tired, that's all," she replied.

Something in his mind clicked.

"Have you been tired long?"

"That is a funny thing to ask me," she mused.

"Just answer the question." Severus was perhaps a bit too forceful, but she understood his personality.

"This is my first year working at the Ministry. As a new employee I am expected to work long, hard hours. I am frequently tired."

"Are you feeling any more tired today than usual?"

"Now that you mention it." She looked up at him strangely. "I am more tired than usual. I feel almost…"

"Drained?"

"Yes, exactly. Since I got back from lunch…"

"Where did you go for lunch?"

She looked up at him with almost defiance in her eyes.

"That is a highly personal question, Severus," she admonished him.

"Your eating habits are not exactly what one would call private."

"I met…" she began in a normal tone of voice, but as she continued her voice got lower. "_Rabastan_ at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Did you leave Lestrange at any time alone with either your drink or your food?"

"Severus! What a thing to ask!"

"Just answer the question!"

"If you must know…" she was defiant once more. "I had to leave to table to visit the loo!"

It was just as he feared. Severus grabbed her arm with enough force to cause her to drop her parchments once more.

"Severus, what in the bloody hell do you think you are doing!"

"Saving your life!"

_Obviously the words the Ministry of Magic woman says belong to J.K Rowling. Heck, everything belongs to her, but those words especially._


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"Severus!" Ursula struggled to get out of his grasp from the moment he reached for her arm, but it was not until they were in the extravagant lobby of the Ministry of Magic that she was able to wriggle out of it. "I am not moving another inch until you tell me what the hell you are doing!"

Her outburst earned them only a few sharp glares from random Ministry personnel or visitors. Most of the wizards and witches around them were too wrapped up in their own affairs to pay any attention to what was happening with them.

"I have not seen nor heard from you since Cordelia's wedding and then you show up unexpectedly at my work… to what? To assault me and try to take me away without explanation?" she fumed. "What do you want, Severus?"

"Can we talk about this elsewhere?" He asked as he nervously scanned the faces continually entering and exiting the Ministry.

"What is wrong, Severus?" she asked him in a whisper. He could tell by her face that she was uncomfortable, perhaps even a bit frightened, by his actions.

"Please, Ursula, come with me," he pleaded.

"I will not move one inch from the place I am standing until you explain yourself."

Severus knew the look she had on her face all too well. Her eyes were narrowed and focused on him so intently that it felt as if she were preparing to set him on fire purely with the aid of her gaze. Several months with her at school had familiarized him with her temper.

"Ursula," he said in little above a whisper. The grip he had on her arm was loosened. Leaning into her he looked into her eyes and asked quite simply and honestly," Do you trust me?"

"Severus, of course I do," she replied.

"Then please… come with me. I promise I will tell you everything you need to know when we are somewhere safe."

"But this is the Ministry… If there is one place we are guaranteed to be safe it is within these walls and these wards."

There was a time in his life when he had been idealistic enough to believe the same notion of Ursula's. As a young child it did seem impossible that horrible actions or events could befall the Ministry of Magic. Its walls were impenetrable, safe from all harm that any on the outside could try to bring against it. The Ministry was not simply a building in his mind, as it had become, but it was where justice and goodness (depending on which person one would bring into question) met. Such a place with its mythic value was impossible to attack, destroy or even simply infiltrate.

That had been the naiveté of his youth. Now, as a member of the darkest wizard the world had yet to know's army, Severus knew all too well what actually transpired within the sacred walls of the Ministry of Magic.

"State your business," Severus heard the man at the security checkpoint say to another visitor.

"If you would kindly read my visitor's badge, you would find that I am meeting Miss Ursula Albrecht," was the rude, agitated reply.

Although Severus could count on one hand the number of times he had actually spoken with Rabastan Lestrange, he could pick out his gruff voice in a crowd. Immediately Severus took Ursula's arm in an even firmer grip than previously and quickly, yet inconspicuously moved to the closest exit to the outside world. He feared that they had already been spotted, but did not lurk around to find out for certain. Ursula was silent. She was frightened to be sure, but he was unsure of whom it was exactly she was afraid of.

The streets of the city suddenly were full of ominous shadows. It felt as if every turn they made onto a different lane some sinister malevolence would be waiting for them. Ursula remained silent. She must have felt what he did… that they were far from being safe. Indeed aiding the escape of one marked for extermination by the Dark Lord was very risky and foolhardy. Nevertheless, he did not care. It was Ursula.

"I think we will be all right in here," He announced when they came upon a dilapidated warehouse in the middle of a deserted industrial alley. There were dozens of empty warehouses a short distance from Diagon Alley that no one even realized were there.

"What is this place?" Ursula asked trying her hardest not to sound disgusted.

"What does it matter?" He retorted a bit harsher than he intended. "It is empty, warm, dry and no one is likely to find us here."

"All right, that's it!" She jumped up in a fury. "What is going on and I want to know the entire truth right now!"

"I did tell you I would explain once we get somewhere safe." he conceded. "Okay, but you are not going to like what you are going to hear."

"Do not tell me what I will like and dislike. Just tell me!"

There were some empty crates tucked away in the corner of the warehouse. Severus walked over to sit on them. Ursula followed. When they were both as comfortable as the crates would allow, he began.

"There is no easy way to say this, but if you had not come with me when you did this would have been your last night alive," he blurted out. "Although to be perfectly honest you are not completely safe here."

"What are you talking about, Severus?" She did not sound like she believed a word that he said.

"Your family is being targeted tonight."

"Targeted?" She asked quickly but almost immediately he saw her eyes widen in understanding. "But… are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be safely."

"But…" she seemed to not want to ask her next question. "How did you find out?"

Severus certainly was not going to answer that question with the utmost honesty. How was he going to tell her that he was a member of the dark army that had the entire British wizarding world as well as many other nations in the grip of complete terror? And how was he going to explain that as Miloslav Kurach's apprentice he was quickly headed to the Dark Lord's inner circle? She would never understand. Before he could even explain it to her she would run as swiftly as she could from him and potentially end up in grave danger, the very same grave danger he was trying to protect her from.

There was no cause to worry that Severus would have to speak with her so candidly of his actions the last few months. Ursula reached out for his left arm before he even had a chance to stop her. His long, buttoned sleeve that hid his deepest secret was pulled up his arm faster than he was able to reach for her hand. He rushed to pull the sleeve back down to its proper place, but it was already too late. Ursula had seen his mark.

"I was not surprised in the least when I saw Rabastan's mark for the first time. He was usually so good to remember to glamour it. One time it slipped his mind," she explained. "Of course he is unaware that I saw it. I behaved as if it were magically concealed. No use in upsetting him."

Severus saw her left hand touch her right arm. Something in her face allowed him to see her memories of being hurt. At least the glazed over look she had made him realize that she was reliving terrible moments of her past. Often he had seen his mother touch the very places his father had struck her with the same look. Realizing that Rabastan had abused his beloved Ursula was sadly not surprising. He had never seemed like a wizard who could keep his temper in check. Severus, of course, was the same way, but never, never even once thought about injuring one that he loves. His own familial past was checkered with violence. He was not surprised at Rabastan's behavior, but it angered him to know he had hurt Ursula… his Ursula.

"Cordelia confided in me that Gary had taken the mark," she continued almost in a daze. "The fact that Lucien was also a card-carrying member of You-Know-Who's army was also not surprising."

She rose from the empty crate she was seated on and turned from him. Severus could see the tears in her eyes despite the fact that the sun was going down and there were no lights in the warehouse. She allowed herself some silence before she uttered the words that shook him to his very core.

"But I must say I never expected the same from you, Severus."

Her back was still facing him, but Severus knew her words would not have been stronger even if she had been looking into his eyes. He had never heard such disappointment in a voice.

"I only did it because," He began, but stopped because even he was not entirely sure what his feelings were. The pressure from those around him, he supposed, had pushed him into that direction.

"When I said I never expected you to be herded towards that… that…" she struggled to find the words. "I can understand the allure of the dark side, the allure of some form of power you have deluded yourself into believing you can find. Goodness knows in the few months since leaving Hogwarts I myself, have had my own search for power and purpose. Often without positive outcomes."

Severus thought of Rabastan Lestrange and the thought of him touching Ursula. The contemplation made his skin crawl. He had never been a terribly bad person in Severus' opinion. In his years at school, four years before Severus' own, he had been a fairly average Slytherin student. Of course average in Slytherin is usually as different from students in the other houses as possible. His marks were not astounding. He never was a prefect or held any other kind of responsibilities that so many strove to earn. There were only a few times that Severus can remember him ever being in any kind of trouble. Cordelia thought the world of her older brother. Certainly in her eyes he could do no wrong.

Immediately after leaving Hogwarts he received a position in his father's apothecary business. By business that certainly does not mean a tiny store tucked away in the dark parts of Diagon Alley. Cordelia's great-grandfather Rodolphus built the Lestrange Empire from the ground up. What had been the tiny overlooked Diagon Alley shop that the first Rodolphus inherited from an uncle turned him and his descendents into one of the wealthiest wizarding families in the nation. The Lestranges owned the largest apothecary distribution center in the world. Their ingredients were known by their quality and affordability. Potions all over the globe had Lestrange ingredients. Even the Malfoys were envious of their wealth. Rodolphus Lestrange, Cordelia and Rabastan's older brother, graced the covers of Witch Weekly's Most Eligible Bachelors editions for six years before marrying Bellatrix. His younger brother was certain to be in the running for the next year's cover. With his good looks, familial connections, and more money than the Wizarding Bulgarian National budget, witches all over the world were looking to get to know him. Ursula, with her own good looks and the influence that comes with being the daughter of the Minister of Magic, seemed to be his ultimate prize.

"Ursula… what…" Severus began unsuccessfully.

"None of your business, Severus," she snapped without mercy. "You are not a part of my life anymore."

"Strange how much your life can change in only a short amount of time," he said mostly to himself than to her.

"If you will kindly recall, I was not the one who changed things between us."

She was angrier than he had ever seen her. He knew that my actions only a few short months before had injured her to the core. His foolish, naïve actions wounded her severely. Severus would have given anything at that moment to change the past. Sitting in the darkness of the abandoned warehouse, his heart catching in his throat with fear that they were about to be discovered, he had never felt more remorse.

"I am…"

"Do not apologize," she whispered, her tone as soft as a kitten.

"That was the last thing I was going to do!" His anger got the better of him and instantly he felt ashamed.

"Oh, was it? Then what were you going to say?" Her temper began to rise as well.

"Maybe I was going to apologize," He admitted in a huff. "But now I have changed my mind!"

"So like you," she muttered.

"What!"

"It is so like you to make it seem as if you are going to open up and actually express your emotions, but the second you do, you shut yourself up again! I thought I could help you, but I see that I was mistaken."

"Is that what I was?" His tone was icy, the same tone he used with students who were particularly loathsome.

"What?"

"Was I just some project for you?"

"Severus, no."

"Someone you could mold into what you wanted, and when you were done or felt like you could accomplish no more, you could just throw them away?"

He felt her hand reach over to touch his shoulder gently.

"Of course not, Severus," her tone was much softer and he could sense the sincerity in her voice. "I never wanted to throw you away."

There was silence between them, but Ursula did not move her hand from his shoulder. Severus reached up to touch her hand with his. When they made contact, he heard Ursula let out a choking sigh.

"If only it could have been different." She was crying. "What silly plans I made."

"What kind of plans?" He asked, hoping to make her stop crying.

"Silly girlish plans," She began to chuckle. "Life never turns out the way we want it to, does it?"

"Certainly I have found myself wondering that very thing lately."

Ursula returned to the overturned crate next to Severus. Though she was still angry and confused, without a doubt terrified, she placed a sympathetic hand on Severus' knee.

"Do you miss me, Severus?" She asked, her heart and its emotions open for the world to see.

"More every day," he replied truthfully, his eyes meeting hers. "Do you…"

"I never knew it was possible to miss someone this much." Her reply was truthful as well, of that Severus had no doubt.

Ursula's deep gaze into his eyes unsettled him, but he did not look away. He had missed her, more with each passing day. When he was busying himself with his work he was able to forget. But every night… every time he tried to relax to go to sleep, her face popped into his mind. How could he have ever been naïve enough to believe that he could completely forget her? How could he have ever been naïve enough to believe that every day he would not miss her and wish to simply see her face if even for a moment?

"Ursula, I am so sorry."

"Shh," she replied. "We may only have this night. Let's not waste it concerning ourselves with the past."

She leaned up to kiss him.

* * *

Severus woke the next morning with sunlight splashed across his face. He raised his hand to cover his eyes. A broken window in the top of the warehouse was letting in the morning sun.

"Where…" He had forgotten where he was. Then it hit him. "Ursula?"

She was nowhere to be found. He reached over to the spot where they had been sleeping… the spot where they had… forgotten the past. In the place where she had been laying, a piece of parchment lay instead.

_My darling Severus,_

_When you read this, I will be gone. Please do not attempt to find me. It will be safer for both of us if you simply let me go. A friend is helping me escape from Britain. In only a matter of time I will be far away, but safe. _

_Thank you for saving my life yesterday. There are no words to adequately express my gratitude, so I hope that you will accept those paltry ones. Even if something happens to me, do not let it trouble you. It is not your fault. You did everything you could to save me. For that I am eternally grateful._

_Thank you also for last night. I never would have wanted to leave things the way they were before. I have never wanted to be angry with you nor you with me. The memory of your kiss, your touch and especially your love will sustain me in time to come._

_I wish only the best for you in your life. Though I do not wish you to forget me, I do wish that you would allow yourself to move on. Please do not be angry with me. Your safety and future are of great concern to me. Take care of yourself. Do not spend too many hours over a cauldron. Perhaps someday we will see each other once more, but until then, I remain_

_Your Ursula._

Severus crumpled up the note and threw it from him. How dare she run off like that? She could get herself killed! She could get her friend, whoever it was that was helping her, killed! Did she not understand that simply running away was no guarantee that she would be safe? And after what they had shared last night… He found himself involuntarily blushing at the thought.

"If she wants me to move on, then I will move on," he finally said, defeated.

He gathered his robes, quickly dressed and headed out into the waiting sunlight. On second thought, he returned to retrieve the discarded note. Smoothing it out and folding it carefully, he placed it inside the pocket of his robe.

* * *

Severus threw himself into his work as never before. He was up earlier than even the house elves. Every day he worked morning, noon and night. Sometimes he even forgot to pause to eat. Sidonius and Kurach were both beginning to worry about him.

"If you are looking to kill yourself, I would say you were going about it the right way," Kurach said one day, an entire month after Ursula's leaving. "One cannot keep up this pace you have set for yourself much longer. Perhaps it might be easier if you took one of the potions you make so well. Death would come sooner."

He was in no mood to listen to his mentor. For what seemed like an eternity, though only a month, he had been trying to move on. He had been unsuccessfully trying to forget Ursula and what possible dangers she might have found herself in. Every day he checked the _Daily Prophet_ to see if there was any news about her. The Albrechts, both her mother and father, had indeed been murdered in a raid by Lord Voldemort's order. The Death Eaters searched for Ursula for two weeks, but finally gave up, deciding that there were other things more important to concern themselves with. Occasionally there were tiny articles saying that someone might have spotted Ursula in Bulgaria or Majorca or perhaps in Texas, but none of these bore any fruition. It was the uncertainty of Ursula's fate that unsettled Severus the most.

"I am not trying to kill myself," he snapped back to Kurach.

"Certainly could have fooled me," Sidonius replied. He had just arrived in the steaming potions lab.

"I do not want to hear anymore about this, especially from you," Severus snapped at his younger brother. "Did you come to have an intervention with Kurach!"

"I am not here for you," Sid retorted. "Miloslav Pavlovich, you have a visitor. She is waiting upstairs."

* * *

Severus felt guilty for the way he had behaved earlier in the day. He hated being angry with his younger brother. Leaving the potions lab at an unusually early hour, he sought out Sidonius with the intent to apologize. He was halfway up the back stairway that led to his brother's bedchambers when he heard an unfamiliar female voice.

"Excuse me."

He turned slowly on the staircase. It was dark, but even then the sight before him made him forget his mission to his brother's. Standing before him was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She was not very tall, hardly over five feet three. Her green eyes twinkled in the torchlight and it was no mistaking her bright auburn hair.

"Are you Severus?" She asked with a heavy Russian accent.

"Uhh, yeah, I am," he replied, still shocked by the woman in front of him.

"Forgive me. I am Marina, Kurach's niece." Her English was perfect he was surprised to hear.

"Of course. Forgive me, but I was unaware that you were coming to visit." He tried to remain formal, but for a reason he was unsure of, he found himself having a hard time speaking at all.

"From what your charming younger brother told me, you rarely exit the basement. Do you find potions that fascinating?" Her tone was chiding, but still playful. Marina was certainly something of a coquette.

"When one has the opportunity to study under the finest potions master in the world, they should be serious and learn as much as they can."

"Certainly. And you believe Dyadya Milo is the finest?"

"Yes, he is very gifted."

"At least I can already tell that you are intelligent. Yes, he is the finest."

There was silence between them for a few seconds that stretched on for longer than they were aware. Already Severus could tell that Marina was not one to be silent for very long.

"If you will excuse me, _Severus_," she finally said. "I have to change for dinner."

She disappeared down a long corridor that led to the guest chambers. Severus watched her walk away, forgetting that he had been on his way to apologize to his brother. Instead he made his way to his own room.

"Yes, of course, Durmstrang is a very impressive institute. I thought of sending Sterne there myself, but Hogwarts has been the school that generations of Snape attended," Severus' father explained.

All members of the Snape family sans Severus were seated around the grand dining room table with Kurach and his niece. Sterne and Schuyler were there with their wives; their children were eating in the smaller dining room. Dinner had already begun when Severus arrived. It was rare that he joined the family at mealtimes.

"Forgive me," Severus apologized as he took his customary seat at the table. It was to his surprise that he found Marina seated in the seat next to his.

"Severus, I do not believe you have met my niece," Kurach said aloud, smiling in their direction. "This is Marina Ushakovna Velousova. Marinochka, Mr. Severus Snape."

They nodded in each other's direction formally. Marina had difficulty suppressing a smile.

"We met on the stairwell earlier actually, Dyadya," she corrected her uncle.

"Forgive me Miloslav, but I was unaware that your niece was related to the Velousovs," interjected Lord Snape.

"Oh, yes of course. Marina's mother, my dear sister Anna married Boris Velousov," Kurach explained. "Tragically they were both killed when Marina was a baby."

"How very unfortunate," exclaimed Mrs. Snape. "Did you and your wife take her in?"

"Of course we did," he beamed at his niece. "She was like a daughter to my precious Ludmilla, and is still like one to me today."

The adults, or that is, the elder adults continued to speak on matters that were of very or no interest to Severus. He quietly began to eat his soup. Before he had taken a single bite, he noticed in the corner of his eye Marina looking at him and smiling. It was not a warm smile, but one of pretense.

"Yes?" He turned to the young woman and asked her coolly.

"I was told not to expect you for dinner," she replied, her tone equally cool. "You apparently rarely exit the potions room."

"I made an exception."

"My uncle speaks very highly of you. He believes you have the natural talent necessary to be top in the potions field."

"How kind of him to say that."

Severus was intrigued by the young Russian witch seated next to him, but he was not entirely sure that he liked her. She gave the impression of being too smug. Her green eyes might have twinkled on the stairwell in the torchlight, although now he found them cold.

"You do not like me, do you?" She asked, certain she knew the answer.

"I do not know you, Miss Velousova. As such, I have yet been unable to form my opinion of you."

"What would you say your first impression was?"

"You caught me off-guard earlier. My first impression was not accurate."

He cut her off with a look that told her he wanted there to be no more conversation. She only smiled and chuckled. Her tiny laugh, hardly noticeable to anyone else seated at the table in the midst of the clamor irritated him greatly. Oh, how he hoped her visit would not be very long.

* * *

He had been wrong, very wrong. Marina Velousova's visit was not to be a short one. Two months had passed without her even making mention of leaving the Manor. Everyone, including Severus' father who hated just about every person he met, was charmed with the young Russian witch. She was engaging, constantly the center of attention. Mrs. Snape begged her to stay as long as she wished. No one, no one that is except Severus, was quite ready for her to leave. Even Kurach was charmed with her more so than normal. He droned on and on about her every day, frequently causing Severus to become furious enough to add the wrong ingredient to his many cauldrons.

No, Severus was not captivated by Marina. He found her exasperating. Her presence maddened him. And it was to his horror to find that there was no escaping from the houseguest. For days it felt that every place he went, she was already there. He felt as if he was following her, though the thought of that made him ill. Fortunately for him she found the basement too dank and malodorous for her tastes. Rarely would she venture downstairs.

"Do you never tire of this rotten place?"

Severus found the sound of Marina's accent as appealing as the sound nails make on a blackboard. He had been in the process of stirring a batch of Veritaserum when he was interrupted. Without even nodding in his direction, he answered her.

"I find it is easier to not be annoyed. The company is preferable…"

"To what you might find upstairs?"

"Precisely."

"It is very sad that you find dead creatures and potions ingredients more sociable than actual living humans."

He said nothing, only continued to stir.

"Who was she?"

Without thinking, Severus turned around and met Marina's eyes. They were cool, all right, but shrewd as well. He could see her thinking just by looking into them.

"She is beautiful," Marina said quietly.

"Excuse me?" He was utterly confused.

"Where is she now? Did she die?"

He said nothing, only continued to look into her green eyes.

"Oh, you're worried that she might have died," her voice was quiet and gentler than Severus had ever heard it. "You would know."

"I would know what?" His voice came out in a whisper.

"If she was dead. Love connects people. If she was dead, you would know."

Severus was still quite confused by the conversation that they were having. Not once in the entire time she had been a guest or during any of the 100s of infuriating conversations they shared had he seen Marina so… so compassionate. It was as if she were a completely different person standing before him.

"How…" He wanted to ask her how she knew all of this about him, all of this incredibly private information. "How do you know I would know if she was dead?"

"It's a feeling… like part of your heart is missing." She grew quiet, her thoughts obviously far away.

"Have you…" He was unsure how to ask the question or even if he wanted to know.

"Yes… a long time ago, or at least it feels that way."

"I... I'm sorry." He was sincere, but still uneasy.

"Unfortunately I did not know that he was going to be attacked before it happened."

She gave Severus a perceptive glance. It was almost as if she was reading his mind. But then he had had an unsettling feeling about those damned green eyes of hers from the start. He had a niggling fear that she knew much more about him than she let on.

"How do you know all of this about me?" He demanded, his voice ringing through the room.

"Simply by looking into your eyes."

He did not know how to respond.

"The night we first met on the stairwell and I surprised you, I saw the look of shock on your face. Your eyes are very expressive, Severus, whether you are aware of that or not. You looked at me, and then found yourself feeling guilty."

"Guilty?" She was returning to her old, annoying self.

"Yes, guilty," she was not bothered by his tone. "You felt guilty that you allowed yourself to look at me the way that you did. You were reminded of her… what is her name?"

"Ursula," he whispered, knowing full well that she was completely right about him. He had felt guilty that he was admiring a beautiful woman before him that was not Ursula.

"You saved her life, didn't you?" Marina asked. "It is weren't for you, she would be dead right now along with the rest of her family."

"How do you know all of this!" He demanded once more.

"I told you… from your eyes."

"Quit playing games with me!"

He was past annoyed. How dare she? How dare she bother him in his solitude to speak of Ursula? How dare she know so much about his life that he wished to not only keep private, but to forget? How dare she remind him?

"You are aware, of course, that if anyone found out that you interfered in the plot to take her life, your life would be forfeit?"

Her words stung him. How could she know so much? How could she know so much and be so accurate? Yes, if anyone were able to find out that he knew about the plan to kill the Albrechts and that he saved Ursula… he would be killed.

"How did you find out about that, Marina? And if you say my blasted eyes, I'll kill you!"

"That is not the only reason you are afraid someone will kill you. What else did you do, Severus?"

Their eyes met again.

"That was an accident… though you still feel guilty about it."

"Tell me how you know all of this." His voice was icy.

"Did my uncle tell you what I studied in school?"

Severus tried to remember exactly what it was that Kurach had told him about Marina's schooling. There were so many times that he simply tuned the old wizard out. He spoke too often of his niece.

"I don't remember," Severus replied truthfully.

"My specialty was Occlumency. Do you know what that is?"

"Of course I do."

"I am also an accomplished Legilimens."

Of course… that explained how she knew so much about him. She was telling the truth when she said she saw it all in his eyes. A Legilimens has to keep eye contact to read the memories and emotions of another.

"You should tell people before you read them," he said, turning his eyes to the floor.

"No, I find this way better. They do not usually put themselves on guard when they do not know."

"It is not right for you to know such private memories and emotions of others."

"You should be thanking me that I read you," she said, annoying him greatly.

"Why!"

"I can save your life."

"Excuse me?"

"What do you supposed would happen if the Dark Lord or any of his followers learned that you were the reason Ursula Albrecht got away?" Severus faced her once more. "Oh, yes, I knew who she was before you even told me. She was marked for death, but you saved her."

"I could not let her die," he whispered.

"Of course you couldn't. I understand," Marina assured him. "And if I had known that Alexei was going to be murdered, I would have done all that I could to save him."

"How can you save my life?"

"By teaching you what I know."

* * *

Three weeks of evenings just like the previous one followed. Every night after 10, when most of the house was already in bed, Severus would meet Marina in the downstairs library for an Occlumency lesson. He would empty out all of his most embarrassing or private memories into a pensieve before they would begin. The lessons were almost a mirror image of the lessons that Severus would later teach Harry Potter in his fifth year. There was a great deal of fighting on both sides. Angry words were often spoken, but Severus was a quick study. He was almost completely done learning all that there was to know about becoming an Occlumens.

"Damn it, Severus! That was not good enough," yelled Marina in a fit of exasperation.

"I am still learning!" He screamed back.

They did not speak of that night when she revealed what she knew about him. It was private, and they had been friendly, or at least civil that night. Everything had changed back to the way it had been before that evening, or perhaps it had gotten worse. Hardly could they stay in the same room for more than two minutes. They hated each other, but Marina's lessons continued. Apparently her feelings for him did not negate the fact that she did not want to see him dead. Yes, their situation was much like the situation he would have years later with Harry Potter.

"That is it!" She finally screamed when Severus had failed once more. "I am through!"

She turned from Severus and left the room as quickly as she could. He was not upset by her exit. No, in fact, he was glad she was gone. He felt certain that he would learn better without her. He was through with her himself. He wanted nothing more to do with Marina Velousova for as long as he lived.

* * *

A house elf woke Severus the next morning. It was most unlike him to sleep through not only the sunrise, but breakfast as well. The late night lessons coupled with the long days of brewing potions had tired him.

"Master Snape is needed in the library," the house elf squeaked.

"What?" Severus demanded.

"Your father wishes to see you, sir."

Severus took his time preparing himself and making his way to the library. Rarely was he summoned to his father for a good reason. When he finally arrived, a quarter hour after he was informed that he was to meet his father, his parents, Kurach and… _ugh_, Marina were assembled in the room. Marina, he was pleased to see, looked positively sick. The three adults were all beaming.

"I was to told you wished to see me, Father."

"Ahh, yes, of course, Severus." His father was smiling at him. That never happened. "We, your mother, Miloslav Pavlovich and I, have some excellent news to share with you."

"Positively wonderful news!" exclaimed his mother.

"We have been discussing it for quite some time," his father explained. "And now we have decided for certain."

"What have you decided?" Severus asked, impatiently.

"In a week, you and Marina are to be married."

Marina began to sob, and Severus felt his body go numb.


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

If one more person came by him to wish him good luck or to say "congratulations", Severus felt he would not be in the wrong if he blasted them with a particular nasty curse. Standing in the corner of his family manor's grand ballroom, decked out in elegant decorations and filled with the wizarding elite of Britain, Severus had never felt more uncomfortable or so uneasy. It was not the stringently starched dress robes he was wearing. It was not that every member of his large and extended family, most of whom could barely remember he existed, let alone his name, were within the same four walls. It was not because he hated crowds or because he hated parties. He had just married the one woman he wished to have nothing else to do with for as long as he lived.

"Wow, I still cannot believe you, Sev, of all people are married," remarked an annoying Evan Rosier who was well on his way to being smashed.

"And to someone as beautiful as Marina," added Lucien with a quiet whistle. "Hit the jackpot with her, Severus."

"Yeah, jackpot," Severus muttered under his breath.

Yes, Marina Velousova was now Marina Velousova _Snape_. The thought of being stuck with Marina for the rest of his live made his skin crawl. They hated each other, but because of her influential family, his father made the match. Kurach, delighted that his niece would marry his protégé, was only too eager to agree to the match. Everyone was happy about the marriage. Everyone that is, except for the bride and groom.

The 'blushing' bride was now scowling at her new husband from across the room. She was surrounded by several Russian witches and wizards Severus had no desire to meet. Several of her classmates from Durmstrang were also in attendance. It was almost as if every influential Eastern European witch or wizard was crammed into the Snape ballroom. The groom had received countless glares from that set.

"Here," Cordelia handed him a glass of whiskey. "This might help."

He imbibed it in a single try.

"Thanks."

"Are you going to be all right?" Mrs. Goyle asked Severus in a concerned whisper.

"I…" He caught the eye of his new 'uncle' who raised a glass, certainly his eighth or ninth glass of wine, to the young man who married his niece. "I suppose I have to be."

"Don't give me any of that 'it is my duty' rubbish," she retorted. "You are miserable… and I don't like the looks of your new _wife_. From what I hear her entire family is evil to the core."

Coming from a member of the Lestrange family, that revelation was something. If a Lestrange could call a family evil, then there must be something terribly wrong.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked in a whisper pulling his school friend to a quiet corner.

"You hear things coming from the family I do," she explained. "I spoke to Father about your wedding the other day. When I mentioned Marina's name he was surprised to say the least that your father was making an alliance with that family. He has always believed that your father is simply a supporter from the outside. To actually ally himself or rather his family, with that family was certainly taking a step in the direction towards joining the inside circle."

Severus took a look at several of the guests of the bride. The majority of them seemed quite unhappy to be there. None of them seemed to be enjoying themselves. Most of them had hard looks. He wondered exactly what kind of family he had just married into.

"Have you ever heard of Elizaveta Velousova?" Cordelia asked.

"No, I cannot say that I have. She is obviously a relative of Marina's?"

"She came from one of the most powerful and darkest wizarding families in Russia. They got into some trouble about ten years ago for performing highly illegal spells in Siberia. The International Wizarding council fined the head of the family over a half a million galleons."

"I never expected her to come from an upstanding family. She is too shady. But who is Elizaveta Velousova?"

"Her aunt… the youngest sister of her grandfather… and…"

"And what?"

"Father knows a great deal about the Dark Lord. He has been learning everything he can."

"And you are going to explain to me how all of these people are connected soon, aren't you?"

Cordelia ignored his comment. She was too used to his remarks to give them any notice.

"After he left Hogwarts there are many years of the Dark Lord's life that cannot be accounted for. There are rumors to be sure of what he was doing all of those years… but one thing my father knows for certain. The Dark Lord was married to a woman named Elizaveta Velousova, Marina's aunt."

Severus was annoyed to say the very least. For as long as he had known Cordelia she claimed to have information that no one else had. In Hogwarts she was the one who had all the gossip or rumors that no one else had heard yet. Severus rarely believed any of the so-called secrets she claimed to have.

"Married, right," he responded mostly under his breath.

"Ask your _wife_ if you do not believe me," Cordelia retorted, obviously offended by his unbelief. "Father also had dealings with the Velousovs in business."

The latter revelation of Mrs. Goyle's made more sense. Naturally a dark wizarding family would do business with a Lestrange. It was preposterous to believe otherwise.

"I have something you might wish to see," Cordelia said in an attempt to change the subject. She handed her friend a folded sheet of parchment. "It arrived last week."

_Dear Cordelia,_

_Do not fear. I placed an untraceable charm on this owl and on the letter it carries. You and your family, especially your unborn child, are in no danger because of me. I recently arrived in a safe destination where I believe I will not be found. It was a long, difficult journey but I have arrived at last. My new home (I will not use the name or location) is lonely and foreign, but I know I will feel more at home soon. This will be naturally, my only letter I will send to you. One letter is easy to hide, but any more could cause you some serious problems._

_I wish to thank you for the help you offered me. If you had not informed Severus of the plan to attack my family… well, I hesitate to think. I fear that I left Severus in a poor way. Please let him know that I am safe._

You have been an excellent friend to me, Cordelia. Thank you very much. Though I do not know if our paths will cross again, you will always be in my thoughts. I anxiously await your child's birth announcement in the Daily Prophet.

_Love, Ursula_

All thoughts of Marina and their future life together as a married couple left Severus' mind. Ursula was alive and for the moment, safe. He let out a long sigh of relief. From the moment he woke up to find her missing he dreaded and feared the worst. He believed it would only be a matter of time before she was found and murdered by the Death Eaters. But now, thanks to the letter she sent Cordelia, Severus knew she was alive and safe. He found he could breathe easier.

* * *

"Don't look at me like that!" hissed an irritated Marina Snape. "I have just as little if not less desire to be here than you do."

The two newlyweds had just been ushered into their new suite of rooms in the Snape Manor.

"I hardly doubt that," Severus muttered under his breath. He remembered his earlier conversation with Cordelia and wanted to confirm his suspicions that she had once again had false information. "Who is Elizaveta Velousova?"

A wicked grin crossed Marina's face at the question. If it were possible, Severus liked her even less.

"My grandfather's youngest sister," she replied, her devilish grin widening. "How do you know her name?"

"A friend mentioned her name to me this evening."

"Cordelia should learn to keep her mouth shut."

Forgetting exactly the kind of witch he had just married, Severus looked her directly in the eyes unprepared.

"Ahh, so it's not the first time your friend has given you information you do not trust."

He remembered and though he looked directly into his wife's cold green eyes she could not read him.

"You are improving, _dear_." Her tone was scathing. "What did she tell you about my aunt?"

"She told me that she was married to the Dark Lord."

"Yes, she was. They fell in love long before he became what he is today. Great-grandfather and Grandfather saw promise in him and though he was not pure, they allowed the marriage. Unfortunately Auntie Eliza died only two years after they wed due to complications in childbirth. Broke his heart… some believe that is one of the reasons he grew so dark."

"And my father…"

"Arranged our marriage so he could have a son in the inner circle of the Dark Lord."

Of course she was right. Though he had already heard the theory that Lord Snape was using his son to gain a foothold of power in the dark, Severus needed to hear it from a more reliable source. Or at least a source closer to the deal.

"Really, Severus," she continued. "You should trust Cordelia."

"All right, I get a place in the inner circle…"

"You already have it," she explained. "Eventually you would have gotten there on your own merit. Believe me when I say your exertions for the cause have not gone unnoticed by those in power. But because the Dark Lord still continues to show loyalty to my family because of Elizaveta, anyone connected to the Velousovs will be invited into the inner circle. Soon you will find yourself being summoned more often than before."

"I get a place in the inner circle… and you get what? Surely you did not agree to this marriage simply so I would be allowed into the inner circle. My father is not that persuasive."

"Of course there is something in it for me, though to be honest I almost wondered if it was worth it when I heard the conditions."

"Conditions?"

"We marry. You get a place in the inner circle. I get one million galleons and a divorce when…"

"When what?"

"When I have your child."

Severus had to remind himself to take a breath. Certainly he had not thought about children entering into this equation in any way. He never felt himself to be a suitable parent and never imagined he would ever have the chance to test that theory out. His legs felt that would give out. He lowered himself onto the large four-poster bed that he and his new wife were expected to share.

"My child?" He could hardly believe the words that escaped from his mouth.

"Yes," she answered him sitting next to Severus on the bed. "I have your child and I get the gold and I get to leave."

She gave him a look that needed no interpretation. Severus knew exactly what it was that she wanted, and to be honest, it was not a strange request on a wedding night.

"The sooner I have a child, the sooner I get to leave," she reminded him.

It was motivation. Though not the typical motivation a young groom needs on the night of his wedding, those few words were all Severus Snape needed to hear. The sooner Marina had a child, the sooner she would be out of his life.

* * *

There was another scream. It struck Severus to the core. His legs felt like jelly, but he knew he had to continue. He was standing at the end of a long lane of trees. The end was where he needed to be. Screams were coming from the end of the trees in a large clearing. Mustering up every last ounce of strength he had, though his heart continued to beat rapidly, Severus ran as fast as he could. He could see a small cottage in the clearing. A woman dragged a small girl by her arm into it. The little girl was screaming, obviously terrified of what was to happen to her. He sped up, but to no avail. The girl disappeared into the cabin.

"DADDY!"

An explosion shook the countryside, stopping Severus in his tracks. The cottage was gone. He awoke with a loud, rasping gasp.

"If you sleep that way every night," an annoyed Marina said. "I will have to ask for another room."

He said nothing to his young wife, only moved to a table across the room. Taking a bottle of whiskey without even pouring it into a glass, he took a swig to calm his nerves.

"Are you all right?" Marina asked, her tone considerably softer than before.

"Yes," he responded curtly.

He replaced the bottle on the table, and sunk into a chair by the fireplace. The little girl had never screamed 'daddy' before. It had gotten to him unlike anything ever had before. The little girl in his dream was his daughter.

"Are you all right, Severus?" Marina asked again, kneeling in front of his chair. She looked up at him, concern written all over her face. He looked down, surprised to see that was anxious. "Oh, my. That's terrible."

Severus swore under his breath. He had to remember to shield his thoughts around his wife. It would be terrible if she could always read what he was thinking and feeling. She was exactly the type to take advantage of anything she learned.

"I wish you would stop reading me without my consent," he snapped.

"You have learned how to shield yourself," she replied. "Use it. Do you dream that particular dream often?"

"Every once in awhile," he admitted, surprised that he was willingly divulging this information to his wife. "Just since the beginning of the summer."

"It is not going to happen," she assured him. "Your daughter is not going to be blown up in an explosion."

"You seem awfully certain about future events that have yet to come to pass."

"You are afraid for your future children though," Marina continued. "It is perfectly natural to be afraid that you will be unable to protect them. Every parent feels that at one point or another. You need not worry, Severus."

"Why not?"

"Because dreams are very rarely literal."

She rose to her feet.

"Now come back to bed. You were doing a good job keeping it warm for me."

* * *

Marina was right. The next evening while he was poring over a new potions manual, Severus' arm began to burn. It had taken him a long time when he first received the mark to get used to the occasional burn that signaled he and his fellow Death Eaters were needed. Usually they were summoned on a certain night. This was not the usual time. And … he later found, not the usual place. Clad in his dark robes and mask, Severus found himself standing in the middle of an old graveyard. Several of his fellow Death Eaters had already assembled, the Dark Lord himself standing near a rather large, ornate headstone. This was to be his first meeting in the inner circle.

It began as every large-scale Death Eater meeting did – kissing the hem of the robes of the Dark Lord. Each member of the circle took turns kneeling before him. When they rose he stared them each in the eyes, no doubt looking for any information that he would punish them for. Severus was immensely grateful that his Occlumency lessons with Marina had paid off. The Dark Lord simply looked at him and dismissed him to return to his place in the circle.

"Another member of the damned resistance has been uncovered," Lord Voldemort began in his raspy, ethereal voice. "Tomorrow night a raid will be conducted on Edgar Bones' and his family."

The circle was silent. Severus was sort of familiar with Edgar Bones. He had been a few years ahead of him in school and in another house, but the name was quite familiar. Thinking about a raid and another wizarding family being murdered, brought Ursula into his mind. Where was she? Would she be found out? He did not know what he would do if she was ever captured.

"There will not be another mistake like last time," Voldemort continued, his voice causing Severus to shiver involuntarily. "Has she been found?"

He was looking directly at the wizard on Severus' right. The wizard opened his mouth to reply, leaving no doubt in Severus' mind who it was.

"No, my Lord," Rabastan Lestrange responded.

The sudden shrieking of Mr. Lestrange disrupted the quiet night air. Unsatisfied with his answer, Voldemort applied the Cruciatus curse on the wizard. After a minute or so, he ended the curse. Lestrange collapsed into a heap.

"I have not forgotten her," Voldemort continued. "And neither shall any of you."

The gathering ended much the same way it began – kissing the hem of the robes of the Dark Lord. One minor difference existed. Because he was unpleased with the fact that Ursula Albrecht had still not been found and murdered and because he wanted his desires fresh in the minds of his followers, every member was subjected to the same curse as Lestrange.

Severus had never felt as much pain in his life. White hot shocks of pain coursed through every vain in his body. His muscles twitched and seized up. The minute he was under the curse felt an eternity. He left the gathering hating his father even more than he knew it was possible. Not only did his father force him to be subject to torture at the hands of a wizard he would not even himself follow, but he had also made his son marry the most infuriating woman he had ever met.

* * *

Edgar Bones and his entire family were killed the next night by a group of Death Eaters. Nothing went wrong; Severus was pleased, albeit selfishly when he heard that bit of news. Indeed their leader did not subject his closest followers to the same curse he had before. Severus found himself being summoned to the old graveyard two or three times a week. Each time he feared the Dark Lord would suspect he was responsible for the disappearance of Ursula, but each time his Occlumency lessons paid off.

Six of the longest weeks of Severus' life passed following his wedding to Marina. They eventually settled themselves into a daily routine that was at least bearable. He found himself surprised at the sympathy his wife showed him each night. The dream he was having came back every night, each time becoming more vivid and harder for him to stand. She would quietly pour him a glass of fire whiskey and bring it to him in their bed. The young married couple continued to fight as if they had been married fifty years longer than they had.

"I will be leaving in less than a year," Marina announced one evening, six weeks to the day of their wedding. They were both seated in the family's library.

"Excuse me?" Severus looked up from the potions volume he had been reading.

"I will be having a child in November," she repeated, refusing to look in his eye. "You will have your child; your father will be pleased. I get to take my money and I leave."

"What of the child?" He could hardly believe the words he was saying. He was to be a father in only eight and a half months? It was unbelievable.

"The child will stay here."

"You will just leave it then?"

"I am not fit to be a mother," she responded, looking up into Severus' eyes. "Besides, that was not part of the agreement. I am allowed to leave as soon as the child is born."

"And what will become of the child?"

"I do not care. Pass it off to some house elf if you do not want to care for it."

Her tone was harsh, and Severus hated her for it. Of course he would not pass the child off to a house elf. He remembered that he had been handed off as soon as he was born. If it had not been for his beloved Speranza, he would have grown up alone and unloved. No, his child would not suffer that terrible fate.

* * *

"That woman is insufferable!" Severus hissed, slamming his now empty glass roughly onto the bar.

"Wife troubles, again?" Lucien Malfoy teased.

Severus was sitting in the Three Broomsticks pub in Hogsmeade. More and more he found himself Apparating to the popular village pub to simply get away from his wife. Often he was joined by his fellow Slytherin housemates.

"Every month that goes by she becomes even more unbearable," he signaled the bartender for another whiskey.

"I know what you mean," Gary Goyle joined the small Slytherin group at the bar. He looked visibly exhausted. "Cordelia is the same way."

"I thought marrying Matilda would solve our problems," chimed in Vincent Crabbe. "But I was wrong."

Lucien Malfoy and Evan Rosier exchanged annoyed looks with each other. They were the only two Slytherins that were not recently married and not expecting a child in a few months. It was a strange situation the entire group found themselves in. Only a year prior they had been at Hogwarts studying to sit their N.E.W.T.s. Now… each had their own very different life. Evan Rosier was employed by Gringotts' Wizard Bank. He had a full-time job, which surprised all of his friends when they heard. Evan was not the type to take a regular job in any of their opinions. Lucien Malfoy was not doing anything productive with his life. He had tried out for the Quidditch draft, but no teams had been interested, not even in his father's money. He spent most of his time lounging around the manor bossing the house elves around.

The three married Slytherins – well, their lives were certainly different. Vincent Crabbe had to marry his wife Matilda when they found she was expecting. Any day now they were expecting their first child. Unfortunately for them, the child, a daughter, would die soon after her birth. They recovered slightly and Matilda became pregnant with the child who would be Vincent Crabbe, Jr. Vincent, Sr. was working for his father, the only job he could find. To be perfectly honest, his son would sadly be brighter than his father. That is an indication of the future success Vincent, Sr. could expect on his own. Gary Goyle was married to Cordelia; their child was about to be born in only a month. He was not as excited about having a child as he was the afternoon Severus ran into him in Flourish and Blotts. To be truthful, Gary was quite terrified of the son he was going to have.

And Severus – well, his story is not unknown. Forced to marry a witch he could not stand against his will, he secretly found himself looking forward to the day when his child would be born. The prospect of fatherhood petrified him at first, but as the months passed and he was able to come to terms with it, he found himself excited. He only wished his wife was easier to get along with. The longer she was pregnant, the crankier she became. She spoke incessantly of the day when she would be given the key to a vault in Gringotts' filled with a million gold galleons. At least six times a day she reminded Severus that she was leaving the moment the child was born. She was meaner than he had ever seen her. That in itself was a feat. He found himself sneaking away every chance he got to drink. Even his potions lab was no longer a sanctuary.

"One night," pleaded Evan. "One night can we sit here and not talk about wives and future children."

"Yes," replied Lucien. "It is very annoying."

"You are welcome to leave if you find the topic of conversation so uninteresting," Severus snapped. He was not in the mood.

The two unmarried Slytherins rose from their seats simultaneously.

"Stay," Gary Goyle said when they acted as if they would leave. "Severus promises not to speak anymore."

If looks could kill, Goyle would have been dead just by the mere glance Severus gave him. Evan and Lucien returned to their stools at the bar. They had only been there a few moments when Severus felt the mark on his left arm start to burn. None of his friends seemed to be disturbed. He assumed that this was a special invitation for the Inner Circle.

"Excuse me," he rose from his stool. "I… uh, I must be going."

No one tried to stop him or even ask where he was going. It was strange to him to be privy to something his housemates were not. Once outside the pub he Apparated to the meeting place. Before he joined the assembled group in the graveyard, he pulled his shrunken Death Eater mask and robe from his pocket, restored them to full-size and put them on.

The meeting was not unusual in any way. It began as each inevitably began. Severus mind was on a hundred different things while the Dark Lord and his followers spoke. Only when he heard a familiar name did he take notice of what was actually happening in the meeting.

"Ursula Albrecht has been sighted in Madeira," a wizard whose voice Severus did not recognize announced.

"Send a team immediately to kill her," came the order from the Dark Lord.

Severus felt all of the air in his lungs escape him. They had found Ursula. She was still in danger despite her assurance to Cordelia that she would be safe. He struggled to find a place to look, anywhere but at the wizard who just ordered the death of the woman he loved. Standing only three people from him, Severus noticed a short, curvy witch looking in his direction. All other eyes were focused on Voldemort, but she was looking right at him. Though he could not recognize her in the baggy robes or in the mask, he continued to look at her. When the followers began to kiss the Dark Lord's robes in obeisance, she turned away from him. Severus saw her very pregnant stomach.

Twenty minutes later he was back in his bedchambers in his family home. Marina was nowhere to be found, but that was not uncommon. She was less and less in the room they shared. As part of the agreement she made with her father-in-law she had to make it appear that she was happy to be in the marriage with Severus. She was required to spend every night in their room, but she always waited to the very last minute to make an appearance. Only a few minutes after he arrived, Marina entered the room out of breath.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly, shocking her husband. It was most unlike her, especially in the later stages of her pregnancy to apologize.

"Excuse me?" He asked, taken aback by the tears he saw form in her eyes.

"I did not know," she continued, her voice shaking with tears.

He was uncomfortable with such emotions, especially coming from Marina. The only thing he knew to do was to lay an arm on her. He crossed the room to where she stood, her head buried in her hands. Silently he put his arm around her trembling shoulder. She surprised him, and no doubt herself, by moving closer to him. She said nothing for over a minute, just allowed Severus to hold her. He was surprised to say the least by her actions, but he found himself becoming comfortable holding her.

"I was the one who told," she finally said, turning her face away from him.

"Told? Told what? To whom?"

"I told Lucius Malfoy where Ursula was."

Though he was cognizant of her delicate condition, he pushed her from him. It was a gentle push, quite different from the rage he felt inside.

"You told!" He did not expect his voice to be that loud.

"It was an accident," she continued to sob. "I did not know it was Ursula."

Severus was thoroughly confused. So it had been Marina that he saw at the meeting. It was hardly surprising that she would be there given her family's allegiance and ties to Voldemort. But how could she have possibly known that Ursula was in Madeira? And if she did know, why was she so upset that she was the one who told? Wasn't it her prerogative to do what she could to make her husband miserable?

"Stop crying and explain this to me!" He ordered. She immediately sobered up. Perhaps yelling at a pregnant woman was not the best choice he could make, but at that moment he did not care.

"Since I have been pregnant with this damn child of yours," she screamed. "I have had unexplainable visions! I got one today when I was sitting in the Leaky Cauldron. Before I even knew what was happening Lucius heard me say that 'an enemy of the Dark Lord hides in Madeira'."

"You had a vision of Ursula?" Marina had never told him that she was a Seer. "Have you ever had a vision before?"

"Not since I was impregnated with your brat!"

He wanted to hit her like he had never wanted to hit another human being. Remembering all of the violence he had witnessed over the years and remembering that she was indeed carrying his child, Severus did not act out his desire. No woman had ever made him want to physically hurt her before.

"What did Lucius do after you said that?" He asked, forgetting for a moment to ask his wife exactly what she had been doing with Mr. Malfoy in a pub.

"He was shocked… he did not say a word to me, but rose from the table and left. I assume he went to contact someone near Madeira."

"How did he know it was Ursula?"

"I don't think he did know. The Dark Lord has followers in many different parts of the world, Severus," she continued. "Most likely Lucius contacted someone in the area who then spotted Ursula. That is only what I can assume."

The information was a lot to take in, but when he had given himself several minutes to allow it to soak in, Severus found he was no longer angry with his wife. She had revealed the whereabouts of Ursula by pure accident. Though his fear for Ursula was great, he could no longer be angry with Marina.

"It is not your fault," he quietly said. "You did not know what you were doing."

"I am very sorry, Severus," she replied.

His curiosity got the better of him.

"Marina, why were you so upset and apologetic?" He asked. "I thought you lived to cause me grief."

"It pains me that you think so low of me," she replied in little more than a whisper. "I lost the one I loved, and do not wish that pain on anyone. It upset me that because of my foolish vision that I cannot even explain, I am no Seer, you might lose your love."

"I did not know you cared."

"Of course I care," she snapped back, her tear-filled eyes meeting his stoic ones. "I do have a heart, you know."

"I never believed you didn't," he lied.

"I remembered how it felt to lose Alexei… how I feel every day," she explained wistfully. "Though you may not be aware, I do care for you. I do not wish you to have to feel that pain that I did."

Marina cared for him? Severus found himself having a hard time believing that. From the moment they met she worked hard to make him miserable. She seemed to feed off of it. To hear that she actually cared whether or not he was hurt greatly surprised him. Wasn't she the same woman who could not wait to give him a child so she could divorce him and run? Wasn't she the woman who only agreed to marry him for the money his father promised her?

"What can we do, Severus?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied.

He hated his answer, but he was not only thinking of Ursula. She was an adult witch, a fully capable and talented one at that. There was not much he could do to save her again. If he was alone he would be in Madeira in a heartbeat, but he was not. His child was about to born in only a short few months… and Marina was his responsibility to protect until the moment she decided to leave. He had to stay with his family as much as it pained him.

* * *

In mid-November Severus bundled himself up in several sets of warm robes to descend into the basement. Though at any given moment at least twelve cauldrons were lit, the potions lab was freezing. With winter coming Severus was unsure how he would be able to stand the temperatures.

"Master Snape," Severus cringed at the sound of Flottie's screeching intonation. "Mrs. Goyle is upstairs in the library to see you."

What could Cordelia possibly want to see him about, he wondered. She had already been by to show off her son, the pudgy Gregory. Never was there a prouder mother. Almost the moment the mediwizard allowed her to get out of bed and visit, Cordelia had been proudly showing off her new son to her friends and relatives. But knowing she would not disturb his work for something trivial, Severus put on a clean outer robe and ascended the staircase to the library.

"Severus!" Cordelia shrieked, though it was intensely quiet. "Have you heard?"

In one arm she held her son and in the other she held a newspaper. Thrusting the paper into his hands she lowered herself onto a sofa. It was that day's _Daily Prophet_. If he managed to read the daily edition at all it was usually in the evening right after dinner. He immediately saw why Cordelia was so anxious for him to read the newspaper.

Ursula Albrecht Murdered in Madeira 

The search for the missing daughter of the former Minister of Magic has ended. Early yesterday morning Miss Albrecht's body was found on the island of Madeira. Though cause of death is uncertain, it appears that she may be the victim of an unforgivable. Her parents were murdered in September of last year by followers of He Who Must Not Be Named.

The article was short… too short to report on the death of his beloved Ursula. Severus crumpled up the newspaper and threw it into the fireplace. He still could not believe that she was dead. Several minutes passed between he and Cordelia in complete silence. Only baby Gregory made any noise. Cordelia silently cried, and Severus silently stood in front of the fireplace to watch the paper burn.

"I am very sorry, Severus," Cordelia finally said to break the silence.

He did not know what to say back to her. There were no words that he could think of that were appropriate.

"I have to take Gregory home for his nap," she said again a few silent minutes later. "I wanted you to know."

"Thank you," was all he said as she and her son left the library.

A thousand thoughts were rushing through his head while he ascended the stairs to the bedchambers he shared with his wife. It was already mid-afternoon but Marina was still lying in bed. She was ready to have their child at any moment and the doctors wanted her in bed. Severus was not sure why he went to their room. He would usually go to the potions lab to be alone if something upset him. For a reason he was unaware of he chose to be with his wife.

"Did you hear?" He asked Marina, who awoke at the sound of the door opening.

"Yes, I did," she replied quietly. "I am very sorry, Severus."

Her response was genuine. She was upset for him.

"Come to bed," she softly ordered. "You have not had more than three hours of sleep at a time for months."

He obliged his young wife. Crawling under the covers of the large bed, he found himself oddly comforted by the feeling of his wife's pregnant stomach touching his back. His grief for Ursula was real… it was palpable, but he was reminded that any day now he would be a father. His grief for Ursula could wait… he had more important things to worry about now.

"Severus!"

The room was completely dark when he woke up at Marina's insistence. He must have been sleeping for hours.

"What is it?" He asked with great concern when he saw the terror on her face.

"I think," she could hardly speak.

He realized immediately what was happening. Jumping from the bed he almost left the room forgetting his outer robes. Putting them on as he ran down the stairs he frantically called for someone to call a mediwizard. The moment he had been waiting for was almost upon him. Marina was about to have their child.

"She will be all right," Kurach assured Severus as they waited downstairs with the other Snape men. "Women have been having children forever."

It was only a few minutes before midnight on November 15th that a wizened old mediwizard descended the stairs of the manor. Severus immediately leapt from his seat, did not bother to speak with the old man, and rushed upstairs. Marina was sitting up in bed, looking exhausted.

"Marina…" he started, but stopped when he saw a sight that horrified him. Marina was not holding their child… she had given the tiny baby to a house elf. While the elf was adept at caring for children, he snatched the child from her arms.

"_You_ have a daughter, Severus," Marina announced, emphasizing once more that she was not going to have any part in the child's upbringing.

Severus had never seen a more beautiful creature. A rare warm smile spread across his face when he looked down at his daughter. She was perfect. A quick count assured him that she had all the necessary fingers and toes and nothing more. The baby girl opened her eyes to look into her father's. She had the same black eyes as he did, Severus noticed.

"What are you going to call her?" Marina asked.

"Speranza," he replied.

Of course his daughter would be named after his dearly loved sister. He decided on that early on in Marina's pregnancy. Though he was still unsure what he would have named her if she had been a boy, Speranza was certainly the name he would choose for a girl. And, he was pleased to see, she did indeed resemble his sister in many ways. He was thankful to see that she had the better Snape and Benoit qualities and very few, if any, Velousova traits.

The day had begun with death… the death of the woman he loved. It ended, he was pleased to notice, with a birth. He would do everything in his power to keep his daughter safe from harm.


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Will you shut that child up!" Marina screamed, her voice mixing with the shrill cries of Speranza Snape.

Severus rose quietly from the small cot he had placed next to his newborn daughter's crib. Though his wife had immediately asked him for a divorce the moment his daughter was placed in his arms, Marina was unable to leave the manor for several days. Her pregnancy had been a difficult one; the birth almost took her life and the child's. Her mediwizard had her on strict bed rest for at least a week. Finding his wife unbearable and not wanting to leave his daughter alone, Severus placed the cot in the sitting room outside of their bedroom. Obviously he was not far enough from his _beloved wife_.

"Shh," he gently said once he was holding the child he lovingly referred to as Anza.

Anza immediately stopped crying in her father's arms. A house elf, the same elf that had taken care of Severus numerous times as a child Apparated into the room. She held a bottle of warm milk in her hand.

"It is all right, Master Snape," she said, her voice though still screechy and harsh, much gentler than the other elves. "Linny knows exactly what Miss Anza needs."

Though it was hard for him to admit it, she was right. Linny knew a great deal more about taking care of children than he did. He gingerly handed Anza over to the wizened elf, though with some pangs. Wanting to know everything he could, he watched Linny expertly feed and then change his baby daughter. When she was done and Anza was fast asleep, Severus stood over her crib to watch her sleep. Nothing had ever made him feel so proud. That tiny creature quietly snoring was his… she was his responsibility. He would do everything he could to protect her and to give her the kind of life he never had growing up.

"Oh, my, she's gorgeous!" Cordelia gasped on Anza's seventh full day of life. Severus, who had only a few weeks prior been quite annoyed with Cordelia's visit to show off her brand-new son, found himself doing exactly the same thing. "She looks nothing like her mother, I am pleased to see."

"As am I," he replied quite truthfully. He, like Marina, wanted to forget that she had anything to do with the child. "I was very pleased to see that she takes after her aunt."

He grew silent. Cordelia put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"How is Marina?" Cordelia asked, hoping to change the subject away from Severus' dead sister.

"Dreadful," he sighed. "Thankfully I will not have to deal with her for much longer."

"Is she leaving soon?" Cordelia was the only person he told about his father's arrangement with Marina. She was the only person he trusted not to make it known that he was only married to a beautiful, intelligent witch because his father paid her.

"In the next day or so she should be gone."

"And the divorce?"

"She has already spoken with a legal advisor. It will be a quick divorce."

"Good," she replied forcefully. "The sooner you can get that poison out of your life and your precious Anza's the better."

"I could not agree more."

* * *

Severus did not have to wait much longer for his one wish to come true. Only a few hours after he and his daughter left Cordelia's did he run into an excited Marina. She was ordering several house elves about, telling them exactly where to put her trunks.

"I am leaving this evening, husband _dear_." She was in a far better mood than she had been for months. "I've had enough of this dreary, drafty house… not to mention the life I have lived here."

He said nothing to her, only passed her on the stairs. No one, not even Marina herself, was as anxious for her to leave as Severus was. For an entire week she had bothered him more than all of the other months he had known her combined. She made it clear to him a thousand times that Anza was not to be considered her daughter, though the proud Snape grandfather had insisted that she carry the name – Speranza Mariah Velousova Snape, a fact that irritated both of the new parents.

"How will everyone know she is a Velousov if she does not take the name?" Lord Snape had asked over a celebratory dinner. Though he was the one who orchestrated the entire marriage, he had only been to see his granddaughter once, and Severus had no doubt that would be the only time. She was alive. She was perfectly healthy. She had both the Velousov and Snape names. There was no further need for his attention.

The newborn in question awoke from her nap immediately following her father's entrance into the room. She began to scream, a noise Severus found to be music to his ears. He rushed to her crib, pulled her out, and she directly stopped. He had the ability to calm her down he had been more than pleased to discover. It had long been his fear that his child would not respond to his touch. He feared, although in silence, that his child would not take to him. His fears were immediately allayed the first time Anza began to wail.

No father could be prouder, he had often thought as he held her. She was perfect. Another fear he had before she was born was that his child would have all of his bad, unattractive qualities. While Anza's personality would not make itself known for quite some time, she did not look like her father. She did not have his sallow skin or his hooked nose or even his dark hair. It was small, but she had been born with little patches of auburn fuzz, the only reminder of her mother. He was grateful to see that she had the beautiful little nose of his mother, but the facial features and body frame of his sister. The only thing that proved she was indeed his child were her dark, black eyes.

"I am leaving now," announced Marina, who burst into the room without knocking.

He said nothing.

"Are you not going to wish me farewell?"

Again he said nothing.

"Are you not going to wish me a pleasant future?"

He turned to face her, Anza still clasped in his arms.

"As long as your life is lived far from my daughter," he replied. "I do not care what or how you do."

She glared at him, took one last look at the daughter she was abandoning and left. Severus would never see her again.

* * *

Life without Marina was hard to get used to in the beginning. Waking up to a cold, empty bed was strange. Severus had been used to feeling another person lying next to him, another warm body, despite her cold nature. Finding that he had to not only do what was required of him in his potion brewing, attend both mass Death Eater and Inner Circle meetings, but take care of a newborn baby was difficult. He often, as much as he hated it, had to resort to allowing Linny to care for Anza. Cordelia visited more and more often bringing little Gregory with her. He found her presence comforting, and she certainly knew how to care for the children.

"Aren't they adorable?" She asked one afternoon as she and Severus looked at their two babies sleeping in the same (magically enlarged for this purpose) bassinet. "Maybe we should make an arrangement for their future marriage."

It was a jest, to be sure, but Severus did not take it well. He glared at Cordelia as if he wanted her dead.

"Never will I subject my daughter to an arranged marriage," he replied, his voice dripping with ice. _Besides_, he thought, _Anza will most certainly do better than a Goyle._ He shuddered to think.

"I was only joking, Severus," she said, though a part of her was faraway dreaming of who her adult son would marry.

"Nothing good has ever come from an arranged marriage, in my opinion," he stated, still not completely satisfied that she had been teasing. "Anza will marry for love, and nothing else."

His words were final. Cordelia never brought up that subject again, neither in jest nor in seriousness. He had had bad experience with arranged marriages. His sister's had been disastrous, and his own… well, he did not like to think of his own. The only good that came out of those two marriages were the two girls. Grace had long ago been adopted by Simon and his wife in Andorra. She was happy there, and they were happy to have her. Occasionally Severus received pictures and word of her progress.

"Will you ever even let a young wizard get near enough to her to allow her to fall in love?" Cordelia teased. It was no secret how protective of his daughter Severus already was. Even at four months old it was apparent that he would not allow his daughter to enter the courtship world without several hurdles to jump.

"I have allowed her to be close to your son, have I not?" He reminded her, but was once again reminded of how awful life would seem if Anza married a Goyle. He fought off another shudder.

"I pity any young wizard who tries to court Anza," she laughed. "The poor guy will tremble with fear when he meets you."

"And right he should," he replied, though he said it in a mildly joking manner. "Any wizard who wishes to have anything to do with my daughter will have to meet my stringent standards."

"I shudder to think what those will be."

* * *

There were a hundred different places Severus wished he could be on a cool August evening. It was 1980; the wizarding world was in the midst of terror. Lord Voldemort and his followers were gathering strength every day. Severus could tell by the increasing number of Death Eaters. Every meeting he arrived at there seemed to be more. Even the Inner Circle was expanding. That was where he found himself that evening… standing in a chilly, overgrown Muggle graveyard with the Dark Lord and his most devoted followers. He wished to be standing over his cauldrons or with his now nine-month-old daughter. Witnessing the Cruciatus Curse being applied to dishonest or foolish Death Eaters was not at all what he wanted to spend his time doing.

"Tomorrow night they will die," the Dark Lord hissed, shocking Severus back to paying attention. "You will go with them."

Voldemort was pointing right at him. Severus had never been asked to go on a raid before. He had always played a role on the sidelines. Even he could not deny that he was responsible however indirectly with the murder of dozens of innocent witches and wizards because of his potions. He knew he was a murderer, but it was different far away from the actual murders.

"We have seen how well you can brew a potion," the Dark Lord continued, his voice causing the hairs on the back of Severus' neck to stand. "Now let's see what you can accomplish in the field."

Severus could not sleep that night. Thoughts were coursing through his head. He had been in the midst of the terror that Voldemort and the Death Eaters were creating, but he never felt a part of it. The meetings he went to had become a habit. They were often unpleasant, but he was used to them. Even with the pain of the Cruciatus curse that was often applied, he was desensitized to the horrors that were discussed and subsequently took place at each meeting. The people who were mentioned were simply names to Severus, as callous as that sounded. He himself could not believe that he was so blasé about the lives that ended because of what he brewed each day in the basement of his family manor.

The mark on his arm burned just before midnight the next night. It was his summons to wherever the raid was to take place. The Death Eaters never really knew, or at least most of them never knew, where they were going before they actually arrived. Imbedded in each of their Dark Marks was a magical tracking spell. It was not, as Severus feared when he first heard of it spoken of years later during the trials that followed the Dark Lord's demise, a way for Voldemort to keep track of where his followers were at every moment. It was more of a way to direct them where to go. Whenever they Apparated they simply touched their mark and were transported right to the spot they needed to go.

"Good night, Anza," Severus said, reaching down to look at his daughter. Death Eaters had been killed before in raids, he fervently prayed this would not be one of those nasty raids. "I will return shortly."

She did not even wake at her father's voice, only continued to sleep. He took his robe and mask from the inside of his armoire. These were articles he never wished his daughter to see.

The raid was in full swing by the time Severus was able to apparate there. At least seven, perhaps eight Death Eaters were quietly killing every member of quite a large family. Severus foolishly hoped that he would not have to join in, that maybe he was too late and the entire family would be murdered before he got a chance.

"There you are, Severus." the wizard was masked, but he knew in a single moment that he was standing in front of Lucius Malfoy. "It is about time you arrived."

"Sorry," he hastily apologized. "I was delayed."

"Not to worry," Lucius amiably replied, apparently not at all concerned with the mayhem and murder going on behind him. "We've saved one just for you."

His tone was malicious and calculating.

"Just over there behind the wood pile."

Severus was not entirely sure how he was able to walk over to the oversized woodpile. His legs felt that they would give out at any moment. _You must not show weakness_, he lectured himself. _That is exactly what Lucius is looking for._ No doubt this was a special mission to test his loyalty to the Dark Lord. As he got closer to the pile, he felt bile rise in his throat, but he pressed on.

Lucius Malfoy was a sick son of a bitch. Lying in the grass was a faultless baby girl. She had to be right around Anza's age, not quite a year. Despite the chaos happening in her midst, she slept soundly as if she could not hear anything. Lucius expected him to kill this precious child? He could do nothing, but stare at her, lying peacefully curled up under a blanket. It was apparent that someone who loved her had left her there. It would have been a perfect hiding place in usual circumstances, but the Death Eaters were not usual murderers. They left no stone unturned. Every member of a targeted family was killed… even if they had run into hiding like Ursula. He fought to keep the contents of his stomach down.

"Is something wrong?" A mocking Malfoy approached him.

"No," Severus lied, his eyes not leaving the child.

"She is just a little one," Lucius continued. "Not exactly a difficult task. She will put up no resistance."

Not exactly a difficult task? Murdering a child that reminded him of his own daughter was not a difficult task? Severus' wand hand was shaking… this did not go unnoticed by Lucius.

"You all right, Sev?"

Of course he knew the answer. Of course he knew that sending him over to kill a small girl child would strike him to the core. It had been the Dark Lord's plan all along. Now that Luca was dead, Lucius took his place in the Inner Circle, bringing along his cronies Crabbe and Goyle. Voldemort questioned Severus' loyalty. Something about the wizard unsettled him. Knowing that he was attached to his new daughter, Voldemort chose a half-magical, half-Muggle family with a young girl Anza's age just for this purpose. Killing the baby would assert Severus' loyalty.

"Yes," it was an obvious lie. "I'm fine… only thinking how best to do it."

"I have an idea." Severus wanted to curse Lucius and all of his blasted ideas. "She has been hidden in the perfect place… too bad we saw her mother place her here. Otherwise we might have missed her."

"The perfect place?"

"Ahh, yes, Severus, the perfect place. Just blast the logs. They will fall on her and crush her."

Severus was not naïve. He knew what Lucius' purpose was. He knew how much power the Malfoys had and how much Lucius himself was gaining now that he was the heir. He had been sent to make sure that Severus accomplished this task. He trembled fearfully to think what would become of him, or even worse… Anza, if he did not fulfill his duty as the Dark Lord's follower.

"Right you are, Lucius," he replied calmly, though he was anything but on the inside.

Silently he raised his wand to point at the logs. She was beautiful… she was perfect. She did not even wake up when the spell hit the logs. There was a loud crash, a tumble of hundreds of pieces of chopped wood fell onto and squashed the girl. She never woke up, never even knew what was happening.

"The Dark Lord will be pleased," Lucius said when the deed was done. "You may return home now, Severus. You have fulfilled your duty tonight."

* * *

It was as if something had control over Severus' body. That is the only explanation he could think of to understand how he managed to Apparate home and climb the stairs. He forgot everything he did from the moment Lucius said he could return home to the moment he laid eyes on Anza sleeping peacefully in her crib.

"What have I done?" He whispered into the darkness.

He had no answer for the next questions that plagued him. _What am I doing? Why?_ He did not understand why he was even in the position he was to begin with. Why was he involved in the Dark Lord? But… then he remembered. He chose to join the dark side when Ursula hurt him… when she said that he was pathetic. His thinking had not been sensible when he made that decision what felt a lifetime ago. So much of his life had changed the moment he bowed before Voldemort and accepted the mark that would mar him for the rest of his extraordinarily long life. He had been a foolish teenager spurned by his first love. He had been angry and rebellious, furious with Luca Malfoy for the supposed murder of his sister.

Now he was a father… certainly not a child anymore though he was still few in years. He was hardly in his twenties, but he felt a hundred years old at least. The atrocities he was responsible for, even before that evening's events, were undeniably vast. Under the tutelage of Miloslav Kurach he brewed thousands of potions that claimed hundreds of lives. He was a murderer of the worst kind… one that did it by another's hand. And now… now he was a child murderer… he had murdered that beautiful baby girl while his own lay sound asleep warm in her crib.

What would Ursula think of him now? He could not help but think that same question over and over in his mind. She was long gone… he could hardly believe she had been dead for so long… almost a year. It felt only yesterday that they were sneaking around the greenhouses, hiding from Sirius Black. The evening of their first kiss felt it had only been the day before, but when he thought of his life now, he could hardly believe that he had once been that carefree. His life with Ursula did not even feel like it was part of his own life at times. It seemed to be someone else's memories that he occasionally thought of. Surely Severus Snape had not been so innocent and untroubled.

"How could I subject you to such a life, Anza?" He asked his sleeping girl. She did not stir; his voice always comforted her. "You deserve much better than this."

He looked down into her crib. As he did every time he laid eyes on her, he could not believe that she was his. She seemed too small, too fragile to belong to him. Too perfect. He knew that all parents must feel this way at some point, but it did not diminish the feelings he had for his daughter in any way.

"I will make this better for you," he promised, softly touching her tiny, green swaddled arm.

The picture of the baby girl sleeping in the grass returned to him. Lucius had said that her mother tried to hide her in the woodpile. She almost succeeded too. _It could have been Anza_, he thought. For indeed it could have been. If he had not killed the child, he felt that there was no doubt that his own child's life would be forfeit because of it. If he had not killed the sleeping babe, his own would have been murdered. The thought of having to give up his child shook him to his very core. Tears that he never allowed himself to shed began to slip from his eyes. He tried to wipe them away, but more came in their place. Before he could stop himself he was weeping as he had never wept before… he was grieving for the child he murdered, but he was also in a strange way grieving for his own child. He had been very close that evening to losing her and he never wanted to feel that helpless again.

* * *

Severus woke up the next morning with no doubt in his mind what he needed to do. If he wanted to save his child, to save himself, he would have to change his life completely. Serving the Dark Lord was no longer profitable or advantageous for him. Though he knew that turning from Voldemort might very well be the last thing he would ever do, he had to secure a better life for his daughter. How good of a life could she have if every time her father failed to do as he was ordered her life hung in the balance? It was not fair to her. He would give his life up for hers if it came down to that.

"Please watch Miss Anza very closely today, Linny," he ordered the elderly house elf. "I shall return very late if I even return at all tonight."

"Yes, Master Snape."

He donned his best every day robes. Though he was quite unsure exactly how he was going to do what he wished to do, he knew he had to look his best nonetheless. Before he left the manor he took his daughter in his arms. She had been laughing for months. Every time he held her and smiled at her, she laughed. It was for that very reason that Severus was willing to give up everything for her. She was a happy child who deserved a happy life.

The road from Hogsmeade to Hogwarts castle was one that he had traveled a hundred times. Over the years as a student, he had gone to the wizarding village countless times. For a few moments during the long walk he almost felt he was back in school again. He felt that he had to hurry back before the front doors to the castle were locked and his house would lose ten points. Despite everything he had experienced in his life since the day he left Hogwarts, he was almost able to convince himself that none of it happened and he was simply headed back to school.

The wizard he was searching for was not in his office. At the very moment he was admitted into the front doors, Severus saw Albus Dumbledore standing in robes of purple in the Entrance Hall. Students were to arrive in only a couple of weeks, but the staff had already assembled to prepare for the upcoming school year.

"Severus, what a surprise," Dumbledore exclaimed, but Severus had the distinct feeling that the Headmaster was not surprised in the least to find him there. He had always given the young wizard the feeling that he knew everything that was going on.

"Headmaster," he politely nodded in his direction.

"What brings you to the castle?" He asked, though again Severus felt he already knew the answer.

"I wonder, Headmaster," he began, his voice shaking ever so slightly. "I wonder if I might be able to speak to you in private?"

"Of course, Severus. Follow me."

Severus followed the elderly wizard down up the Grand Staircase and through the corridors to where his office was located. Throughout the walk Severus was able to imagine that he was a Hogwarts student once more. He felt almost as if he was being called into the Headmaster's office for a school related reason. Unwittingly he allowed himself to remember the night he followed the Headmaster to his office in his sixth year. It was the night that Sirius Black lured him into the Whomping Willow. It was the night that that blasted James Potter saved his life.

"Fizzing fizzbees," Dumbledore said to the gargoyle that led to his office.

Silently Severus followed him once more up the revolving stairs to his circular office. Inside he saw that Fawkes was taking a nap on his perch. The Sorting Hat had been taken down from the top of the bookcase in anticipation for the newest crop of first years about to arrive in the castle. Former Headmasters and Headmistresses slept on in their portraits, unaware that Dumbledore had a visitor.

"Please take a seat, Severus."

Dumbledore gestured to a pair of armchairs in front of the fire. When he had settled himself in one, Dumbledore sat across from him in the other. The elder wizard looked at the younger and smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"I read that you have a daughter now," Dumbledore said aloud when they were both comfortable in the overstuffed chintz chairs.

"Yes, Anza… Speranza. She will be a year in November."

"Ahh, children are such a blessing," he continued. "They cause even the wisest to do foolish things."

Severus did not look his Headmaster in the eyes. Yes, he had done a lot of foolish things in his life, but they were never because of his daughter. He was sitting there willing to do anything to protect her.

"Of course they are also the reason that some of the bravest and most courageous acts are carried out," Dumbledore added. "Speranza is a beautiful name. It means 'hope' does it not?"

"Yes, Headmaster."

"And so she is… She is hope that the future will be brighter. She is hope that all we struggle to do every day is not in vain."

"It was my sister's name."

"Ah, of course I remember your sister. What a talented witch, she was," he said allowing himself to pause momentarily. "Please accept my sympathies however late they are. Her death was a tragedy."

"Yes it was."

A few moments of silence passed between the two. Ever so often Severus would look up to see his former Headmaster smiling in his direction. He found it oddly comforting, just as he had when he was a boy. He felt again that Professor Dumbledore had all of the answers to any problem he might ever have.

"Headmaster…" he was unsure how to begin.

"Yes?"

"I… I am here because of Anza."

"I gathered that much," he answered kindly. "You have the look of a concerned parent all over you."

"I fear that the foolish choices I made before she was born will come back to hurt her."

"Every parent feels at some point in their life that their past mistakes will come back to rest on the shoulders of their children… it is unfortunate that often they are correct."

"I made a terrible mistake when I left Hogwarts. Now I fear that Anza will be in danger because of it."

"The lure of darkness is not lost on me, Severus."

Severus found himself surprised at his response. To him and to many other Hogwarts students past, present and future, Albus Dumbledore was never a wizard they would equate with darkness. He seemed to have been perpetually on the side of the light.

"A foolish mistake I made myself as a young wizard," Albus explained. "Though I was fortunate enough to find a way out. It was not a life suited for my tastes. There is too much good in this world to want to concentrate solely on what is dark and bad."

"I…" Severus did not know what to say.

"Lord Voldemort has power that few have ever had. His lure is strong, I am not naïve enough to believe otherwise."

"How did you…?"

"Voldemort has permeated every ounce of the wizarding world in some form or fashion. Certainly I was aware that many of my former students were attracted to his power."

A sudden trepidation struck the young wizard.

"You are not going to report me, are you?" He asked, fearful of the answer.

"Simply by seeing the fear you have on your countenance and by looking into your eyes I can tell, young Severus, that you have been punished enough for your associations."

Certainly the Headmaster of Hogwarts was correct. The fear that Voldemort instilled in his followers alone was punishment enough.

"I would spend my life in Azkaban if I could only save my daughter."

"Of that I am certain, Severus…though I feel your services would be well served elsewhere. You have been punished and in time you will be able to repay your debt."

"I murdered a baby last night, Headmaster." He could not even look the man in the eyes.

"Fear and intimidation can cause even the strongest men to commit atrocious acts."

Was the Headmaster actually excusing Severus for the deaths he had caused, even the death he caused with his own hands? This was most unlike the wizard Severus thought he knew.

"That is no excuse," Severus quietly replied, not looking into Dumbledore's eyes.

"No, it is not an excuse," Dumbledore replied forcefully, but carefully. "You have an opportunity to work for the right side, to redeem yourself."

"You are not going to have me sent to Azkaban?"

"Of course not… Azkaban would make even the least remorseful feel sorry for his past actions. Though I am not speaking against punishment, the fact that you are willing to submit yourself to whatever might come your way because of your confession… because you are willingly here in front of me… I can see that you will be a powerful weapon against Voldemort and his army."

Severus did not know what to say. He half-expected his former Headmaster to owl the Ministry of Magic immediately to inform them that he had one of You Know Who's Inner Circle and confessed baby killer. He half-expected that his visit to Dumbledore would end with him locked up in Azkaban. Hearing that Dumbledore did not have a plan to punish him in mind troubled him greatly.

"I am sorry, Headmaster," he began. "But I do not understand what you are talking about."

"Redemption is frequently more effective than outright punishment."

"Excuse me?"

"You are an accomplished Occlumens, Severus," he announced, much to his former student's surprise. "I noticed that the moment you walked into the Great Hall. Where did you learn that skill?"

"My wife taught me."

"She must have been an excellent teacher."

"I suppose."

"Very few possess the ability to shield their mind from such penetration. It is an extremely valuable asset. It will serve you nicely in the weeks and months to come."

"How?"

"In exchange for your freedom, for me not informing the Ministry of what you have confided in me… you will become the spy the resistance has been waiting for."

Spy? The thought of the word and the actions that he would be forced to perform to do the task made every ounce of moisture in Severus' mouth disappear and reappear on his palms. To be a spy would be almost certain death. A thousand things could go wrong at any moment.

"But…"

"I realize it is a lot to ask of you, Severus," Dumbledore explained kindly. "But you must understand that though you are truly remorseful of the acts you have committed under Voldemort's orders, there will be some consequences."

"Of course there should be consequences, but how is being a spy going to keep my daughter safe? If I am found out she would be the first murdered in retaliation."

"If you remain solely in Voldemort's service you are no better off in the long run as it is," he continued. "If you remain your daughter's life will always be in danger. That is exactly how he operates, by fear and intimidation. Anza will always be a bargaining chip for him… he can use her whenever he wishes to ensure your complete loyalty."

Undoubtedly the Headmaster was correct. In Voldemort's service Anza was in danger, but as a spy he seemed to Severus that she was in even more danger.

"Your information could help us stop Voldemort once and for all," Dumbledore said, almost as if he was reading Severus' mind. "Then you will be safe and you can live a long, happy life with your daughter."

Severus did not know how to respond. If he could be spared a life wasted away in Azkaban and an opportunity to ensure Anza's future safety… well, there was nothing else he could do but take it.

"What will I be expected to do?" He asked, his voice particularly quiet.

"Please follow me," Dumbledore rose from his chair. "Before you arrived I was headed to London for a very important meeting."

"At the Ministry?"

"Oh, no. A _secret_ meeting… of the resistance. Tonight you will meet the Order of the Phoenix."

Severus followed the man who had given him a second chance when no one else in his position would have silently. They had both Apparated into the city of London, though where exactly, Severus was unsure. Neither one of the said anything to the other as they quietly walked an empty, ordinary lane in what appeared to be an ordinary Muggle neighborhood.

"Just right through here," Dumbledore finally spoke when they stood in front of a simple, two-story home. Nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary by any means. "I will go first… It would be strange nonetheless for any of the members to see you walk in first. We might have a duel on our hands before we knew what was happening."

Severus silently entered the house behind Dumbledore. He was surprised the instant they crossed the threshold at the activity that was going on inside what appeared to be a commonplace Muggle home. Witches and wizards bustled around the front room speaking in loud voices or carrying around boxes and other items. The first person to see Severus Snape walk through the front door was so shocked she dropped the tiny box she was carrying.

"Dumbledore… what?" Lily Evans… Potter was surprised to say the least to see the young man she had tried to save from a humiliating episode in their fifth year. Obviously she did not expect to ever see him within the headquarters of the Order.

"A new recruit, Lily," Albus cheerfully replied. "We will discuss it in the meeting."

Lily Potter could not take her eyes off of Severus. Her gaze made him shift uncomfortably. Even when he reached down to retrieve the box she had dropped she made no sound, made no effort to say a word to him at all. He handed her the box, she silently took it from him. Then she turned her eyes from him swiftly and left the room.

"What the bloody hell is he doing here!" An enraged Sirius Black asked only a few minutes later when all of the members of the Order of the Phoenix were seated in their meeting room. "We are not so desperate for members that we will accept slimy gits like him!"

"Silence, Sirius," Dumbledore's command was final. "Severus is to be our new spy."

"I would not trust him with a task like that," James Potter muttered under his breath, but for all in the room to hear.

"We all be murdered where we sit," another voice Severus did not recognize garbled.

"I have complete faith and trust that Severus will perform this task to the best of his abilities," Dumbledore explained. "No one is to dispute that. He has sacrificed a great deal to even be standing here today… his life and the life of his child is in danger. I have no doubt that he will not disappoint."

Dumbledore had great faith in him, but Severus had no idea how he was going to accomplish all that was expected of him.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

"You cannot possibly be serious about him, Professor," raged Sirius Black once the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix had adjourned. "No doubt he is spying on us for the other side."

Sirius continued on with Dumbledore half-listening to him for a longer span of time. Severus shifted uncomfortably in the seat he was in. Activity was all around for him to watch. The headquarters, located in the abandoned home belonging to a relative of Dumbledore himself was in good condition, but was found to be completely void of furnishings or the materials needed to run a secret resistance movement. Witches and wizards swarmed through the house unpacking boxes of items from their own homes or purchased with their own galleons. A few milled about in the meeting room speaking in hushed tones, no doubt wondering whether Sirius and James were right about their new spy.

"I don't like the looks of him," a petite, aged witch said, her hand over her mouth not concealing her words from Severus' ears.

Trying to ignore the witch's continued remarks mingled with the assenting opinions of the wizard she was speaking to and the livid shrieks of Sirius Black was impossible for the exceptionally nervous Death Eater turned spy. Severus tried to focus his attention on anything, anything at all that might allow him to relax.

"Dumbledore said you were a father."

The last person he expected to sit next to him and willingly engage him in conversation was Lily Potter. Throughout their years at Hogwarts she had always been kind to him, but he never was to her. He felt his ears grow warm as he remembered the day of their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L… the way those blasted Gryffindors humiliated him… the way Lily had tried to stand up for him… and the way he insulted her. Yes, he had felt instantly guilty for what he said to her the moment he left the assembled group that afternoon. As soon as he was standing in the Slytherin Common Room, he felt remorse for the unkind words he spoke to her. Never would he have expected her to be kind to him. But there she was… sometime after the end of the meeting she had gone into another room to retrieve a rather small bundle.

"Uhh, yes," he replied, still quite shocked that she was addressing him personally and about such matters. "I have a daughter."

Lily smiled. "What is her name?"

"Speranza, though I call her Anza for short."

The two found themselves sitting there at the table speaking amiably about their two children. Indeed the bundle that Lily was clutching was none other then her son Harry, whom had only been born a few weeks prior. Severus agreed, however slightly and certainly because it was the polite thing to do, that Harry did indeed resemble his father remarkably. Lily found that to mean that Harry was the most beautiful baby, but Severus could only see James in the child, and thus had no use for it. When their conversation turned to Anza, Severus was only too happy to pull from his inside robe pocket a picture of his daughter smiling and laughing.

"She's beautiful," Lily exclaimed, laughing with Anza's own tiny giggle. "Children are such blessings."

"Yes, they are," he quietly agreed.

"Her mother must be quite proud to have her."

"Unfortunately her mother has chosen not to be part of her life," he said without even meaning to. Usually highly personal information he kept personal, but he found himself speaking quite comfortably with Lily Potter.

"Oh, dear, I am so sorry," Lily said hastily, her face flustered and embarrassed.

Severus said nothing, only continued to stare at the giggling photo of Anza.

"I daresay her mother will come to regret that decision," Lily continued.

"Perhaps."

"As a mother I cannot imagine, even being one for such a short time, leaving my child. I cannot imagine life without my Harry." She paused at the horrid thoughts that plagued her mind. "No, I would do anything to protect him, as I am certain you would for Anza."

She placed a concerned hand on Severus' shoulder. When he looked up at her, she gave him a warm smile, letting him know that she had full trust in him. Even as he began to read her (for he had been studying Legilimency almost from the moment Marina started teaching him Occlumency) he knew that Lily was on his side. She understood that he was risking his life to save his child's. To a mother that was the highest seal of confidence a person could receive.

"I realize your concern, Sirius, but," Dumbledore's tone was warning Sirius not to continue his against Severus. "As I have complete faith and trust in Severus' abilities and most assuredly in his loyalty… I ask that you and…" He raised his voice so that all in the headquarters could hear. "The rest of the Order to trust my judgment. Severus will not let us down."

* * *

Severus wished he could be as confident as Albus Dumbledore was in his abilities. Every time he found himself faced with the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters in a secret meeting or at any number of the raids he had been asked to supervise following "his excellent exertions" at the raid he wished to forget, Severus felt his confidence wane. He was terrified that Anza would be hurt… that was the only reason he continued placing himself in danger.

"The Minister of Magic and his family has been targeted," Severus announced to the quiet gathering of the Order of the Phoenix. They were all listening with rapt attention, despite the fact that many in the room, Sirius Black especially, would have rather cursed him than listen to him speak. "It is felt that the Minister is too outspoken in his views against the Dark… err, You-Know-Who."

"When is the raid to take place?" Albus Dumbledore asked calmly amidst the mutters of fear and anxiety at hearing the news of the Minister.

"I do not know the exact time…"

Sirius Black sighed a contemptuous sigh, rolled his eyes and shot a look over to James Potter. He repeated the action.

"But I know it will be sometime this week," Severus continued, ignoring both James and Sirius.

"Thank you, Severus."

This is how Severus spent almost an entire year. He would report every tiny detail of activity or plans that he received about Voldemort and his supporters to the Order. The Order, who before Severus' arrival, had been running around blind trying desperately to make a mark in their fight against Voldemort however small, found themselves faced with a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips. Even Sirius was unable to continue his sarcastic sighs of disbelief during meetings. He, though silently, was quite impressed with the information Severus was able to attain.

The fight against Voldemort seemed to finally reach a point where the resistance was on an equal footing. It was thanks to the information that Severus was able to find. Indeed many raids against Muggles and Muggle-born wizarding families had been thwarted by the Ministry with help from the Order. The Minister of Magic and his family had been saved just in time before they were murdered by the Death Eaters on Voldemort's orders. Every day it seemed the Alastor Moody was announcing that another Death Eater was locked away safely in Azkaban. Several Death Eaters were killed in raids, including one Severus was troubled to hear, Evan Rosier, his housemate and friend. Unfortunately many members of the Order were also being killed. The war was bloody and it did not look like the end would come for a long time yet.

"Hi, Daddy," a tiny voice called to him one night he was coming in from the Order's headquarters. It was past two in the morning.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He asked, scooping his daughter in his arms.

Anza was almost two years old. Her father could hardly believe how fast she was growing and how fast his concern and fears for her grew.

"What is she doing out of bed so late?" Severus asked rather harshly of Linny, the house elf who took care of Anza while he was out of the house.

"Miss Anza had a bad dream, Master Snape," she explained. "Miss Anza wanted her papa."

"Come along, Anza. It's very late."

He took his daughter into her room. Only a single door separated the room where she slept from the room where her father slept. By the time he had her laying back in her bed, he could see her eyes drooping heavily.

"You must get some sleep, Anza. Tomorrow is Halloween. Gregory is having a party and he wants you to come."

A Halloween party in the house of Gary Goyle was not exactly what Severus wished to be doing, but it certainly felt nice to not have to be working for either the Death Eaters or the Order of the Phoenix. Spying was taking its toll on Severus. He was unsure how much longer he would actually be able to keep up the pace he was doing. He quietly watched the children present play games and run around the room. A few times he grew quite nervous watching Gregory Goyle play with Anza. She was so small, and he had already grown to the size of an average four year old. Severus feared that Gregory would hurt his daughter, even by accident.

"There is a rumor going around that the Potters have been found."

Severus could not help but overhear Lucius Malfoy's voice in the corner of the room just behind him. Crabbe and Goyle, the men whose sons would follow around his own son years later, as usual, surrounded him. Severus heard him mention the Potters. Months before the Potters, James, Lily and Harry, had gone into hiding. Very few knew the actual reason, but of course Severus knew it had to do with Voldemort. He had already heard second-hand that they had been approached by the Dark Lord twice and survived, a feat that was unheard of.

"The Potters have been found?" Severus asked in a disinterested tone. He was quite curious, but did not want the others to catch on that he was.

"Yes, apparently a well-placed spy has released some information as to their whereabouts," explained Lucius, his face displaying a rather annoying sneer.

At that moment a sobbing Anza interrupted the men's talk. She was clutching her left arm, her face scrunched up in sobs and dripping with tears.

"Daddy!" She screamed.

Severus quickly picked her up to calm her down. Most of the guests were looking in his direction. Lucius had a particularly nasty smirk for him. Through Anza's sobs, the mark on her arm, and the sudden disappearance of Gregory Goyle behind his mother's robes, Severus ascertained that while playing Gregory bit his daughter. Too concerned with his daughter's cries and seeing Cordelia scolding her son, Severus simply held Anza until she stopped crying. It was apparently late for her because her tears were soon replaced with tiny, almost inaudible snores as she laid her head on her father's shoulder.

"You are too soft with her," Lucius commented when she was fast asleep. "You will regret that in years to come."

"I do not remember asking you for advice on how to raise my child, Lucius," he replied icily.

Certainly Lucius Malfoy was the last person to be offering advice on the proper way to raise children. At Anza's age, Draco Malfoy was a terror. He kicked and hit the other children, especially the younger ones, whenever he wished. When he did not get his way he threw a tantrum until he did. Narcissa Malfoy was entirely too indulgent, and Lucius simply watched her. Anza did not care for Draco at all. She refused to go near him after he threw one of his many toys at her face. No, Lucius had his own problems to worry about without having to inform other parents that they were raising their children incorrectly.

"I was merely suggesting that you try a different approach," Lucius continued, much to Severus' dismay.

"Well thank you, Lucius, but again, I did not ask for you advice."

"It is a shame that your girl will grow up without a mother. You should really remedy that before she gets too old."

His words were cold, his expression colder. Lucius Malfoy simply did not know when to shut his mouth.

"It was simply a shame that Mrs. Snape left," he continued. "Not that anyone blames her. Everyone knows she had to go elsewhere to find… uh, _happiness_."

Severus did not have to be a genius to know to what Lucius was referring to. Of course he had suspected Marina was looking elsewhere throughout their marriage, but he never had definitive proof. _The Leaky Cauldron_… _Marina's vision about Ursula_… it made sense to Severus now. His wife was seeing Lucius Malfoy behind his back and behind his wife's back only a short time after both couples were married. Not wanting Anza to wake up to hear her father scream horrible things about her mother or not wanting Anza to wake up to see her father blast Lucius Malfoy into a thousand sticky pieces, Severus said nothing to the assembled group, only turned to leave the crowded party room.

"Severus, you are not leaving yet, are you?" A flustered Cordelia asked when they met in the entrance foyer.

"Thank you for the party, Cordelia," he started. "But I think it was time I took Anza home."

"I hope what Gregory did did not upset you," she apologized. "I am very sorry. I've just put him up to bed."

"No, I find the actions of the children refreshing compared to the despicable actions of the adults."

"Oh… well, then good night." She called after him.

He paused briefly outside the front door of the house. Anza was still fast asleep nestled on his shoulder. The thought of the Potters still weighed heavily on his mind. Who was the spy within in the resistance? And did Voldemort know that he himself was a spy? He hoped fervently that the spy had not mentioned his name. Then he remembered Lily… she had been so kind to him. He had to warn someone that Voldemort knew where they were.

Bad news… You Know Who knows where the Potters are. Move them quickly. There is probably not much time.

He pointed his wand into the air and a silvery mist shot out of the end. In only a few short moments Albus Dumbledore would be reading his message. The Order certainly had a convenient way of sending messages.

* * *

The air felt strange the next morning when Severus awoke. It was still and entirely too calm. His left arm felt strange, almost empty. He rolled up the sleeve on his nightshirt to see… nothing. The mark was hardly visible on his arm. In the more than three years that he had it burned on his skin, it had never been this absent. He had to peer very closely to the skin to see the tiniest outline. Hmm… something certainly was strange. He would have to remember to ask Kurach about it the next time he saw him in the potions lab.

Severus sat up in bed, sunlight was streaming into his room. Rarely did he allow himself to sleep past the sunrise. He swung his legs over the side of the bed. As he sat there rubbing his tired eyes, he looked up to notice his daughter standing a few feet away from her still dressed in her nightgown.

"Good morning." He held his arms out for her, prompting her to come sit with him.

"Harry Potter," was all she said.

Severus was getting used to, now that she was finally learning to say more words, Anza saying the most random words. She would walk into a room and say, "Fire" or "owls" or any other strange word that seemed to jump into her head. Each time she did it she was quite serious, but even when he asked her what she meant, she would not tell.

"Harry Potter?" He asked.

She simply nodded. Well, then she must have heard one of the other Snapes discuss a _Daily Prophet_ article. She overheard a lot of what was said in the manor. Most, including her father, forgot at times exactly how much she heard and retained. His father must have been reading about the Potters in the newspaper and Anza heard that name. Well… that must mean that Voldemort finally got the Potters. His message obviously did not to Dumbledore in time. He sighed heavily, and gently pushed his daughter off his lap.

Minutes later he arrived downstairs in the potions lab intent on asking his mentor what was wrong with his mark. It had never been so slight before. Severus was unprepared for what he found inside the lab. Cauldrons had been turned over. Potions, some finished, some not yet complete, were puddles on the floor. Storage cupboards had been thrown open, rifled through and the doors left open. It looked as if a group of rather inept burglars had tried to ransack the place… or someone tried to leave in a hurry. A sheet of parchment lay open on the largest workbench in the room. Severus picked it up gingerly.

_Hope you understand my need to leave the country so quickly. Sorry I did not say goodbye. Kiss Anza for me._

_Miloslav_

Kurach was gone? The way he wrote his words he made it sound like the reason he was leaving would be perfectly obvious and clear to Severus. As it was, he could not understand in the least why Kurach would simply get up in the middle of the night and rush out of the country. It made no sense at all to him,

"Harry Potter," Anza repeated herself.

She rarely visited her father down in the lab and when she did it was always with someone else. She had never been down there by herself. In her hand she held what appeared to be a newspaper. Too curious to know why she was clutching a newspaper and repeating the name of that child to scold her for coming downstairs on her own, Severus took the newspaper from her hands.

Voldemort had fallen. The entire _Daily Prophet_ was devoted to sharing this splendid news with wizarding Britain. There was an entire story devoted to the Potter family. Harry was the only one who survived, Severus was curious to see. He was already being called "The Boy Who Lived". Severus found himself feeling sorrow at hearing of Lily's death and though he was one that had tortured him throughout school, he was also sorry to hear of James' death.

Now what was expected of Severus to do? Certainly he needed to speak with members of both the Order and the Death Eaters. Who should he see first? He was at a loss as to what to so. Knowing full well that Dumbledore would know exactly what he should do, Severus knew he had to try to find the wizard first. He snapped his fingers and Linny arrived in the basement.

"Watch Anza while I am out," he ordered. Severus gave his daughter a kiss on the head and left the manor.

Finding Dumbledore was a feat harder to achieve that day than had Severus imagined. He was not at Hogwarts. Thinking he could get some information about his whereabouts at the headquarters of the Order, Severus Apparated into London. Few members of the Order were present, but he was able to ascertain from one of the witches present that Dumbledore had spent most of the day in Godric's Hollow, the village where the Potters lived.

He Apparated into the village and was shocked to see what he saw. Muggles had been shooed from the area of the Potters' cottage and were kept back by anti-Muggle spells. The ruins of the cottage was still smoking. Aurors and dozens of other officials from the Ministry of the Magic were swarming all over the place. Afraid of being seen and asked unpleasant questions, Severus hid himself in the woods that surrounded the cottage. He was able to witness the action at a safe distance.

"There was no point to return here, Severus," he heard a familiar voice say.

To his right, looking mighty nervous was a disheveled Lucius Malfoy. Severus had never seen him so jumpy. At least half a dozen other Death Eaters were gathered in the woods behind them.

"We were too late," Lucius explained, a catch in his voice. "By the time any of us got here we were too late. The Dark Lord had already been…"

"What exactly happened here, Lucius?" Severus asked calmly.

"I am not sure. No one is."

"Is he… is the Dark Lord dead?" He prayed the answer was yes. All of his problems would be over if the answer was just yes.

"I don't think so," he replied. "He was not exactly fully human anymore."

Certainly Severus had heard the rumors and felt that his master was not completely human. He was involved in too much Dark magic to be full. Of anyone he could ask, Lucius would be the one to know the truth. His family was intensely loyal to Voldemort. Following his father's death a year earlier, Lucius inherited all of the money and power that came with his family's name. He was more active in Voldemort's doings than even his father was.

"What do we do?" Severus asked, hoping Lucius would be able to tell him.

"Destroy all the evidence," ordered Lucius. "Anything that could be traced back to the Dark Lord…destroy it. We must not leave any evidence that we had part of anything that he did."

"Are we not going to look for him?" Severus asked, hoping the answer would be no.

"What would be the purpose? That Potter boy destroyed him."

They stood there in silence for several more minutes. The Minister of Magic was there speaking in hushed tones to Dumbledore. Bartemius Crouch was barking orders at several Aurors. Slowly one by one, each of the Death Eaters Disapparated from the wood. It was too tricky for them to stay there and not expect to be caught.

"Destroy everything?" Severus asked Lucius before he left.

"Yes, everything."

"And if the Ministry calls?"

"Say you were put under the influence of the "Imperius" Curse."

Lucius left Severus alone in the wood. He stayed only a few additional minutes. He watched the action continue at the cottage, took a last look, and Disapparated home to his family manor.

* * *

Removing all evidence that he had been involved with the fallen Dark Lord was a more difficult task than Severus initially thought. Every inch of the potions lab in the basement of his family home had something in it that could incriminate him. He tried to hide the rare potion ingredients, the ones that cost several thousand galleons, but he found that no place in the manor was good enough. The Ministry was sure to look in all of the usual hiding places. They had thorough searching capabilities. It tugged at his sensibilities and nerves when he was forced to destroy some of the rarest, albeit most dangerous ingredients. It took Severus nearly a week to completely clear out his potions lab. He finally decided that he would have to completely get rid of the lab. It was too suspicious for one person to have such a lab in the basement of their home. His robes, every single one he ever wore to a raid, he burned.

He was able to breathe a sigh of relief almost an entire week after the fall of Voldemort. Anza ambled into his bedchambers early in the morning clutching the _Daily Prophet_. She had been waking up earlier and earlier the older she got. Every morning of that week she would go downstairs by herself, a fact that Severus could not help screaming at Linny for, and retrieving the newspaper from the delivery owl. Severus feared that his daughter was getting to be too independent. He took the paper from her and was greeted on the front page by a picture of a screaming Sirius Black.

"What the…"

He read the article describing the death of the Muggles and Peter Pettigrew at the hands of the "madman Sirius Black". Though he was surprised to see Black on the front page painted as a murdering lunatic, he felt a wave of relief. Since before the fall of Voldemort he was afraid that the spy Voldemort was receiving his information from would reveal Severus' own spying for the Order. Now that the spy, who he still could not quite believe was Black, as caught. Bartemius Crouch had him sent to Azkaban without a trial. There would be no opportunity for Black to mention names, especially his.

The news that Sirius Black was the spy had not yet sunk in. He never seemed the type. The _Daily Prophet_ had Black portrayed as some kind of Voldemort worshipper, his second in command. That certainly was incorrect, but as Severus reminded himself, that information made for a better article and for better sales. He never once saw Sirius Black at any of the Death Eater or Inner Circle gatherings, but then again, he was not even sure who was usually there. Voldemort kept them in the dark… they only knew a few people within the group and the rest were strangers to them. His way of preventing Death Eaters from having enough power to turn all of their fellow Death Eaters into the Ministry.

"Daddy, who is that?" Anza asked of the screaming Sirius Black.

"He is a very bad man," Severus replied, feeling that his answer was quite justifiable. He was indeed a very bad man, even if he was not responsible for the death of all of those Muggles and his best friends from school.

The next few weeks were full of activity. Following the capture of Sirius Black and his subsequent imprisonment in Azkaban, the Ministry of Magic became a little more emboldened in their mission to capture all of the former supporters of the Dark Lord. Every day at least three or four Death Eaters or potential Death Eaters were being called out and chucked into a cell in the bowels of the Ministry awaiting trial. Aurors had arrested many of Severus' acquaintances. Lucius Malfoy was of course, able to simply get out of prosecution by claiming that he had been under the influence of the Imperius Curse. Crabbe and Goyle followed suit. No doubt a large donation of gold to the Ministry sped up that process.

Now that he had nothing to do for Voldemort or indeed for the Order of the Phoenix, Severus was anxious to find a position. He was not entirely sure what post he could attain. The Ministry of Magic was usually in need of a person who could brew extremely difficult potions, but how could he explain where he learned all of the additional knowledge he had received after Hogwarts? Applying for a post there might send up unnecessary red flags, though he was certain his father would be able to smooth the way with a few thousand galleons. Severus refused to ask his father for help.

It was while he was shopping in Diagon Alley for a present to celebrate Anza's second birthday that Severus caught the break he was looking for. He had been searching throughout the many different stores for a gift that she would enjoy. The only problem was, though he knew his daughter quite well, he did not know what would make a good gift for a two year old. Remembering that she had always liked to play with Sidonius' kitten when he was home from school, he decided to visit the Magical Menagerie to peruse their selection of pets.

"Severus," he heard a familiar voice behind him say. "I did not expect to find you here."

Truth be told, Severus did not expect to find Professor Albus Dumbledore in a pet shop. It seemed too… normal for a wizard like him.

"Anza's birthday is tomorrow," he explained, his eyes returning to a group of puffskeins.

"Children grow up so quickly."

Albus moved closer to his former student and spy. He dropped his voice lower so that the other customers in the Menagerie would be unable to hear him speak.

"Naturally you heard about the Potters, everyone has."

"Of course I have," Severus replied, frustrated. Who had not heard?

"Have you learned anything about the whereabouts of Voldemort?"

"No, I have heard nothing. None of the others seem to know or understand what happened to him."

The two wizards stood there in silence, both pretending to be highly interested in a couple of rabbits.

"The Ministry has no idea either. Quite a mystery."

"Yes."

They were silent again.

"Enough unpleasantness," Dumbledore finally said when the rabbits could no longer hold their attention. "Is Miss Snape turning two?"

"Yes, she is."

"They do grow up so quickly. It will not be long before I will be seeing her at Hogwarts."

"No, I guess it won't."

Severus had not thought about Hogwarts. Yes, he could be of some help to the Headmaster. Several of the teachers had not returned to their teaching posts that term. Hogwarts was closed temporarily while the war against Voldemort waged the strongest. It was long feared that any day would bring about an attack on the castle. Students and teachers alike were not willing to simply wait within the walls for that day to arrive.

"I have been considering my future career," Severus announced casually. "Now that my services are no longer required… I must find a way to support myself and my daughter."

"And you were thinking perhaps of applying for a Hogwarts teacher post?"

Even though he was an Occlumens, Dumbledore could still read Severus as if he were an open book.

"Yes. I feel that I still have a lot to make up for," Severus explained. "I would like to be able to teach young students what I know in the area of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"You would make a fine DADA professor," Dumbledore beamed at him. Severus felt his spirits lift. "But… I would instead like to offer you the post of Potions master."

"Potions?"

Of course Severus was one of the best potions brewers in the nation, but… he wanted to teach DADA. He wanted to prevent others from going down the path he had gone down. It was the least he felt he could offer to the young minds at Hogwarts. His road had been a difficult one that he did not wish for anyone else to have to follow.

"Yes, I would like to offer you the post of potions professor."

"Thank you, Headmaster… but… I would really like to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"As you have just finished studying under one of the best potions experts in the world, you would be better suited as the potions professor."

Severus could not argue with Dumbledore anymore. Naturally he was disappointed that he could not teach DADA, but a position was a position. He would not turn down the offer.

"All right then," he conceded.

"Excellent," Dumbledore's eyes twinkled once more. "Term starts in a few weeks. The students will return then. I am looking forward to returning and for once not having to worry about Voldemort. It was beginning to take its toll on me. The students are tough enough without having to worry about a dark wizard gone mad. You will of course also be appointed Head of Slytherin House. We just lost our last Slytherin professor."

"Thank you, sir." He remembered his daughter. "I wonder if I could ask a rather large favor?"

Dumbledore said nothing, only smiled.

"I would hate to have to leave my daughter in my father's home while I am away teaching. Is there a way I could take a cottage in Hogsmeade?"

"Given the nature of your duties as Head of House that would be quite difficult."

Severus turned from the elder wizard. He was not willing to leave his daughter alone with his family. If it came down to it, he would refuse the position.

"I am sure Poppy would not mind the task of watching Anza while you are in class."

"Thank you, sir." He felt a weight lift from him. Not only did he have a job, a prestigious position at the best Wizarding School in the country, but he would also be able to bring his daughter with him. "I can also bring one of my family house elves to help care for her, if that would help."

"Whatever you feel is best."

Dumbledore picked up a tiny rabbit that changed colors in the light.

"And if you would allow me, I would like to wish your daughter the happiest of birthdays."

* * *

Another event that would drastically change Severus' life took place a short time later in December while he was again shopping in Diagon Alley. He was preparing to move himself and his daughter into Hogwarts castle. There were many items he needed to purchase to make their stay comfortable and there were many items he needed to purchase for his classes. He had just left the Apothecary shop when he was approached from behind by two Ministry officials.

"Severus Snape?" One hissed at him.

"Yes?"

"Come with us."

They did not even give him an opportunity to do anything other than go with them. In the blink of an eye the official who was not speaking had Severus' wand out of his pocket and both men grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. He was taken in a side entrance to the building he knew to be the Ministry of Magic. A lift he had never seen was employed to take him down into the underground further than he had ever been. The two officials were not about to answer any of his questions. After he had asked a couple, '_silencio' _was uttered by one of the wizards and Severus ceased to speak.

"Severus Snape?" An elderly wizard asked the two officials.

"Yes."

"We'll take him from here."

Severus was roughly thrown into a tiny room with no windows and only a single light. He certainly had never seen this side of the Ministry before. What was going on?

His questions were to be answered a few minutes later. The elderly wizard entered into the room that could for all intents and purposes be deemed a cell. He read of a list of charges that were being brought against Severus… the most important one was the fact that he was a known Death Eater. Severus tried to state his case, but to no avail. The silencing charm was still on him.

"The Wizengamot will be assembling sometime tomorrow morning to discuss your case."

Severus spent a sleepless night in his cell. There was nothing in the room, not a chair, bench or anything. He spent the night sitting on the cold concrete floor thinking about all of the terrible things that could happen to him the next morning. Would he be sent to Azkaban as many accused Death Eaters had? The thought of that made him shudder. He had never had the misfortune to be close to a dementor and certainly he did not want to live amongst them. What would become of Anza if he was convicted and sent to prison? A thousand more worries and fears flew through his head that night making it impossible to sleep for even a moment.

"Severus Snape?"

It was the third time that someone had addressed him that way in less than 24 hours. He was pleasantly surprised to find the silencing charm removed by the guard.

"Yes?"

"You are free to go."

There were a thousand more questions Severus had to ask, but the moment he stepped out of the cell they were all gone. Standing only a few feet from him was Albus Dumbledore, looking both angry and relieved at the same time.

"You are being released at Albus Dumbledore's insistence."

Albus led Severus into the lift that carried him to the underground cells the previous day. Neither wizard said anything until they were standing out in the sun.

"Your name was on a list of Voldemort supporters," Dumbledore explained in a hushed tone. "Thankfully I was able to speak on your behalf before that horrible Karkaroff mentioned your name."

"Thank you," was the only thing that Severus could think to say to the wizard who no doubt had just saved him from life imprisonment in Azkaban.

"It took quite a bit of influence and persuasion to convince Crouch to let you go," Albus continued. "We were in his office most of last night arguing."

"Thank you," that was again the only thing that Severus could say.

"I tried to keep it out of the papers and out of the public knowledge. It will not do for the new potions master to be an accused supporter of Voldemort."

They walked down the street in silence, vaguely aware of the strange sensation they were causing amongst the Muggles making their early morning commute. It appeared that they both forgot they were in a thoroughly Muggle area.

"We should not linger here long," Dumbledore said. "We both have much to do to prepare for the upcoming term. I daresay this may not be the last we hear of this business with you and the Death Eaters."


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

A few short weeks later, the day before Severus was preparing to celebrate his daughter's second Christmas with her, Igor Karkaroff publicly denounced him as a known Death Eater. During his own trial as an accused supporter of Voldemort, Karkaroff tried to save his own skin by naming other Death Eaters. Unfortunately for him most of the names he called were the names of those who had already been cleared of being a supporter.

"Severus Snape."

Those two words caused quite a stir within the Wizengamot. There were few present who knew that the newest appointed Potions professor of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was an accused Death Eater. Albus Dumbledore put the record straight, explaining how Severus had been a spy for the resistance. That bit of knowledge seemed to mollify some of the congregation, but a young witch dressed in loudly vivid orange robes scribbled furiously on an extra large piece of parchment.

Severus was greatly surprised to find himself mentioned in the _Daily Prophet_. Dumbledore had assured him that he would use all of his influence to keep that very thing from happening. It would not do, Dumbledore had said, for the readers of the _Prophet_ to believe that he had hired a new potions professor with dangerous allegiances to the fallen Lord Voldemort. It was perhaps lucky that a more important article took the first page. The relatively unknown Rita Skeeter's article was buried on the twelfth page.

_Death Eater At Hogwarts?_

_He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has fallen, but is one of his influential supporters about to take up residence at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Severus Snape was recently appointed to the vacated post of Potions Professor at the renowned school. An entirely unknown wizard to the _Daily Prophet_ and to the Ministry of Magic, Mr. Snape's appointment made little notice. That is, until this reporter heard personally from the lips of known Death Eater, turned witness for the Ministry, Igor Karkaroff, that Mister or rather Professor Snape was an alleged Death Eater himself._

_A spokeswizard speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement stated that Severus Snape was not under any investigation, nor were there even any suspicions that he was or ever had been a supporter of You-Know-Who. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, was not available for immediate comment._

Severus slammed the newspaper down on the table he was sitting at. That Rita Skeeter woman was abominable. No doubt there would be plenty of owls swarming the headmaster demanding for the removal of the potions professor who had not even yet begun to teach. Term was about to begin, and no doubt, parents did not want their children taught by an accused Death Eater, even if the accusers were a confessed supporter of the Dark Lord and a reporter who only recently stopped working for the country's biggest joke _The Quibbler_. He was about to contact Dumbledore himself when a large brown owl swooped into the room. It did not stay long, only long enough to drop a letter in Severus' lap.

_Severus,_

_Do not worry about the article. I have received a few owls, but what would a day be if I did not receive a few owls from parents who did believe I knew what I was doing? I have already spoken with the editor of the _Daily Prophet_. A retraction of today's article will be printed tomorrow. I look forward to seeing both you and Anza in the castle soon._

_Albus Dumbledore_

* * *

Severus with his daughter Anza and one of his family house elves in tow, arrived at the front gates of Hogwarts three days before the second term of the school year was to begin. Anza was excited to get out of the dusty old manor. She was always interested in new places, especially when those places were far away from the grandfather who terrified her. Linny, however, was not anxious at all to leave the comfort she had found in the Snape home. She was born there and believed that she would die there. A trip outside of the walls to an unfamiliar castle was not something she was prepared for.

"Anza, this is where we are going to live now," Severus explained once they had walked up to the front entrance to the massive castle.

"Pretty," was all Anza said. She did not wait for instruction, simply pushed the front door open determinedly.

Minerva McGonagall was waiting patiently in the Entrance Hall for their arrival. She stood near the entrance to the dungeons with a look on her face that made Severus all too aware that he was late in arriving. There had been a small problem with the Floo fireplace in the Three Broomsticks. Severus had Anza go on her own in the fireplace while he and Linny Apparated to the village of Hogsmeade. Unfortunately the connections between the Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head were crossed. Severus waited for Anza to appear in the grate, but she did not. Frantically he searched the village for her, terrified that something terrible had happened. He found her forty five harrowing minutes later sipping a butterbeer on the bar of the Hog's Head amiably talking to the bartender and a dodgy looking warlock. She did not seem to be fazed by the experience in the least.

"Forgive us, Minerva," Severus hastily said once they were all in the hall. "There was a problem with the Floo Network."

Minerva McGonagall said nothing, only inclined her head towards the entrance to the dungeons. Severus felt a tiny shaking hand grab on to his. Looking down he saw that his young daughter was nervous to be in the Transfiguration professor's presence. Allowing himself a little smile at this knowledge, he squeezed Anza's hand in reassurance before following Minerva down into the dungeons.

Nothing had changed… he had not expected anything to be different.

"Your belongings have already been placed inside your chambers," Minerva announced once they were standing outside an inconspicuous door next to the potions lab. Severus had never noticed it until it was pointed out to him. No doubt there was a charm on the door to keep its location hidden. "Albus mentioned that you might be bringing one of your family house elves. She is welcome to stay with the others in their quarters by the kitchen or if need be, a space can be added in your chambers."

"Thank you, Minerva," Severus replied. He looked to the whimpering Linny. She did not look pleased at all to be in the dungeons. They were a frightening place for anyone to suddenly find themselves in. "You will find your accommodations with the other house elves, Linny, but be prepared for my call."

Linny gave Severus a small bow before disappearing down the corridor.

"You will not need a password for your door, Severus," Minerva continued to explain. "Simply touch the door and it will open for you. Albus had that specially installed for Miss Snape here. He did not think it would be fair to expect her to remember any of the difficult passwords you would undoubtedly set."

She gave the two Snapes a rare, small smile. That action put Anza at ease instantly around the formidable witch. She returned the tiny smile with a large, toothy one of her own. Anza walked to the door that seemed to appear out of nowhere to touch the knob. Instantly without any provocation the door swung open. Anza was always one to be independent Severus could not help noticing. She needed no instruction on how to open the door or even any order for her to enter their new home.

"Bumble." Anza turned from the doorway and said to her father. The word was strange to Minerva. She gave Severus an inquisitive look.

"He should be in there," Severus replied. "Professor McGonagall said our things had already arrived."

Anza seemed pleased by this answer. She entered the doorway in search of what she called 'Bumble'.

"Bumble?" Minerva McGonagall asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Her rabbit," Severus explained. "A gift from the Headmaster. She has difficulty saying 'Dumbledore', but wished to name her rabbit after the one who gave it to her."

Minerva said nothing; only let a quiet chuckle escape her typically strict form.

"I will leave to you to settle in," she said. "Classes begin in three days. The students will be arriving in two."

"Thank you."

"Dinner will be served in the staff room at 6."

She said nothing else, but left Severus standing alone in the corridor. Her duty was fulfilled.

"Bumble!" He heard Anza exclaim within the chambers. She apparently located her pet.

With one more look down the corridor that had been so familiar to him during his years as a student at Hogwarts, Severus entered into the rooms that would be his new home in the castle. They were simple he was pleased to see. The first room he stepped into was what was obviously a library/sitting room. A fireplace large enough for six grown men to stand in comfortably took up most of one wall. Someone, no doubt a house elf on Albus' orders, built a roaring fire to cheer up the room. Two small sofas were situated on either side of the fireplace, a large brown rug covering the cold, stone floors. There were bookshelves lining the three remaining walls. Severus was pleased to see that all of his countless tomes of potion and various other magic studies were within the shelves and organized in the way he would have done it himself. A single large door that Anza had already disappeared in… _does her curiosity know no bounds?_ He had often asked himself… was open. Severus casually stepped through it, finding himself in what was undoubtedly his bedroom. A large, four-poster bed took up much of the space, but he was also able to discern another fireplace, much smaller that the previous one, but large nonetheless, an elegant armoire already filled to bursting with his assortment of black robes, and a small writing desk. Two more doors were to be found within this room. One led to an exceptional bathroom… everything was hewn from stone. There was a large, swimming pool sized tub in the middle similar to the bathtub in the prefect's bathroom. He was surprised to say the least in the enormity and comfort that his rooms offered. He never expected his teachers lived so comfortably.

The last door in his bedroom he could only imagine what it went to. Anza had already explored the entire suite of rooms. She was currently in the room he had yet to see. Severus pushed open the door to find… _no doubt Albus had something to do with this_… a beautiful room fit for a princess. A large, by a child's standard anyway, four-poster bed was pushed against the back wall. It was covered in a thick, pink satin bedspread and weighed down with at least a dozen different pillows. The room had the appearance of being a forest getaway. It took him a moment to remember that he was indeed within the confines of the castle's dungeons. There was soft grass where there should have been stone or carpet. Two bulky trees in the corner of the room provided shade from a 'sun' that Severus could not see. Enchanted butterflies flew through the room. Flowers, real flowers were growing up and out of the walls like vines. Anza's furniture blended in to the background, but he could make out another armoire, a tiny child-sized desk and a chest that was overflowing with toys, some of Anza's old ones and what looked like several new ones.

A sight in the back of the room where Anza was currently standing was enough to make Severus burst out in an unexpected laugh. This was no doubt the work of Albus Dumbledore. There was a small paddock on the floor of the room. A tiny gate swung open for someone to enter. Inside he saw the unmistakable form of Bumble, Anza's pet rabbit. A rabbit-sized house was located within the enclosure – a sign in front of it bearing the word 'Bumble'. _How did he always know?_ That was certainly not the first time he asked that question and it would not be the last.

"Daddy, look!" Anza pointed to the rabbit that had been a purple color but was in the process of turning orange. "Bumble has a house too."

He gave her a warm smile. She was pleased to be living there he could already tell. The Snape Manor was beginning to take its toll on his precious daughter already. Though he himself had never been an active supporter, the fall of the Dark Lord was not what Severus' father wished for. His two elder sons had gone into hiding, they were both ardent supporters, though not nearly as close to Voldemort as Severus had been. Sterne was able to return to a relatively normal life after being captured by Aurors. He used the same excuse that his cousin by marriage had used – the Imperius Curse. Unfortunately for the Snape family, or all members but Severus, who personally had no interest or care in what happened to his two eldest brothers; Schuyler had not been so lucky. He was currently serving a life sentence in Azkaban. Lord Snape decided to take his frustration out on the ones still left in the manor. Poor Anza, who was a happy child that almost everyone who met fell instantly in love with, was subjected to the cruelty of her grandfather. Though he had never touched Anza, he had intimidated and tortured her verbally. At only two years old she was terrified to be anywhere near her grandfather. Severus was only too happy to get her out of that cold manor.

A few hours later, after the two Snapes had settled into their new residence, they found themselves walking up the grand staircase towards the staff room. There was little activity in the corridors as they climbed the stairs. Anza was fascinated by everything she saw around her. She was cordially speaking to the portraits as they walked by them, but one containing a large lion that roared at her, caused her to jump behind her father. She held on to the back of his voluminous robes and would not let go until they had arrived.

If there was anyone who could put a nervous two-year old at ease it was Albus Dumbledore. Severus found that he and Anza were the last ones to arrive for the evening meal. All of the other professors and staff members had arrived, and were animatedly discussing their plans for the upcoming term. They hardly noticed the arrival of Severus Snape. Albus had already announced the new teachers and who would fill the vacated posts. There was, however, a halt in the conversations when the staff first caught sight of little Speranza Snape hiding behind her father's robes. Several of the staff members had warm smiles for the young Anza, but she could not see them. It had been a difficult day for her, one full of surprises and change. She was certainly not unhappy to be in Hogwarts, but she was having a hard time adjusting to the change. Seeing that young Anza was a bit nervous in the staff room, Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat close to the fire and between Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout, crossed the room, and leaned down in front of Anza.

"Hello, Miss Snape," he greeted, his warm blue eyes twinkling. Anza felt instantly at ease.

"Hello," She was at ease, but she felt most comfortable hiding within the folds of her father's robes.

It took comforting words from Professor Dumbledore, encouraging smiles from Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey, and the reassurance from her father that as long as there was breath in his body no harm would come to her, before Anza was able to fully relax and come out of her hiding place. Though it probably was, Severus admitted to himself, Professor Flitwick shooting stars out of his wand that finally got her to leave. His robes were not giving her a good enough view. So with Anza seated between Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey, happily chatting with the two, Severus seated himself by Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

"Charming, simply charming," Albus beamed at Severus. "Of course naturally I can see why you were so anxious to bring her along to the castle with you."

"Will her presence here be any trouble?" Severus asked, selfishly wishing that the answer would be no. He had not been away from his daughter for more than a day since she was born. For her sake but just as much for his, he did not want her to be far from him.

"I sincerely doubt she will be any trouble," Minerva McGonagall replied. "Why look how taken Poppy already is with Miss Snape. I daresay she will be more than happy to have company. The infirmary can be quite lonely for her at times."

"Poppy could do with some joy," Albus continued. "These few years have been difficult for her."

"I am not sure if you were aware, Severus," Minerva explained, lowering her voice immensely. "But on You-Know-Who's orders Poppy's only daughter and son-in-law were murdered alongside her only three grandchildren."

"No… I was unaware of that," he replied, the pinkish tint of shame rising up to his cheeks. When he heard of someone who had lost a loved one at the hand of a Voldemort supporter or even at the hand of the Dark Lord himself, he felt the same guilt and shame he would feel if he had been the one to raise his wand and yell "_Avada Kedavra_". Maybe it was something he would never get over, a feeling he would always experience.

"Miss Speranza may be just the hope that Poppy needs right now," mused the Headmaster. "In fact it may do us all some good to have one so innocent among us."

* * *

Three days later Severus found himself facing the most daunting task he had ever faced. Sitting in the dark potions lab anxiously awaiting their new professor were thirty fifth year students. Half were from the blasted Gryffindor House and half were from his own Slytherin House. It was unnerving to him that only would this be his first class to teach in his entire career, but that one of the students in the room was none other than his younger brother Sidonius. He found his courage waning at the thought of actually being in a classroom full of students. What would he say? Would they respect him? Would they fear him? Or would they, worst of all in his opinion, think he some sort of big joke and not listen to him at all?

Severus stood up tall, straightened his robes, and remembered that he was a Snape. It was in his blood to make others squirm and fear him. If that was how he would best teach, then that was how it was going to be. If he had to have every single child in that room terrified of him to get them to learn, that is what he would do.

"Silence!" He shouted though his voice rose little above a whisper.

Every single student jumped up from where they had been and immediately sat themselves neatly and quietly into their seats. Severus could see looks of terror on the faces of the students from both houses. No one had yet had him as a professor. As such, no one was quite sure what to expect. Though Sidonius did not advertise that he was indeed the younger brother of the new, mysterious Potions master, that knowledge was quickly spread through the halls. Students from all years and all houses were curious to know what to expect from Professor Snape. Sidonius gave them all a truthful answer…"I have no idea." Even Sidonius Snape had a strange, confused look on his face when Severus walked through the door. One could hear a pin drop in the room, if a pin had the audacity to fall in Professor Snape's presence.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art that is potion making," he began, his nerves feeling less tense they were prior to crossing the threshold of the classroom. "I don't expect that you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death… if you aren't a bunch of dunderheads that is."

_I'll have to remember that_, he said to himself satisfied, though not even a hint of a grin showed on his face. Even Sidonius sitting in the back room of the lab looked like he was staring at a stranger.

"Because I am yet unaware of the skills that any of you might possess, though that seems highly unlikely," he sneered at the Gryffindor side of the classroom, picturing Sirius Black's face on every single last one of them. "Today you will brew a simple Wiggenweld Healing potion for me."

"But Professor Snape," began a rather skinny, freckled Gryffindor girl sitting in the front row. "We learned how to brew one of those in our first year."

"Perhaps I did not make myself clear, Miss…"

"Horton."

"Miss Horton," he continued. "But I do not remember asking you to help plan my lessons for me. Five points from Gryffindor for your unsolicited advice."

Miss Horton looked as if she was about to cry. Murmurs of dissent spread throughout the Gryffindor side of the room while almost every Slytherin was overjoyed to see their new Head of House take points away from the girl that was an obvious Know-It-All.

"And ten more points from Gryffindor because its members obviously do not know how to follow instructions."

The class fell silent once more.

"Now…" Severus continued. "The instructions for the potion are on the board. You may begin now."

In no time at all Professor Snape was the most feared and/or hated teacher at Hogwarts. His classes were exceptionally difficult. He expected the very best from every person who walked through his doors. Unfortunately for them his standards were mountains higher than other teachers. Only students from Slytherin House appeared to enjoy his classes. Indeed there were many who looked forward to them.

"Do you take so many points from Gryffindor because of your own experiences at school?" Sidonius casually asked one Sunday afternoon. He met his older brother in his personal chambers for a few hours every Sunday afternoon. Usually bound to the acceptable conventions within a teacher/student relationship, there was one time a week where they were brothers, open to speak freely as they wished.

"Are you implying that I take away points when it is not warranted?" Severus asked, raising a single eyebrow. This was his way of intimidating students, but it did not work on his brother who was now… _could he really be that old…_ sixteen years.

"No, but you do seem to find ways to deduct points," he returned. "If I may say so, you are very, uhh… _creative_ in finding ways to deduct points from Gryffindor."

Against his better judgment Severus let a small chuckle escape. To his benefit however, his brother did not notice. Before Sidonius had a chance to look at his elder brother's countenance, it had returned to the same harsh, unmoving face he normally had.

"Creative?"

"Every lesson you find some new way to take points off of Gryffindor because of something you perceive that Veda Horton has done."

_If I did not know any better_, Severus thought.

"You sound affronted," Severus replied. "As if the points I remove from Miss Horton personally affects you."

"They do," he muttered quietly, his eyes not looking at his brother's.

"They do?" Severus had not thought that removing points from another house would affect his brother so strongly.

"Yes," Sidonius continued, though reluctantly. "Every time you take so much as half a point from Gryffindor because of something you perceive that Veda did wrong… well, I hear about it."

"So, Miss Horton is your…"

"Yes," he answered hastily, again not looking at his brother.

"And you get blamed whenever I take points from her house?"

"Well… no, not exactly. But I feel responsible."

Severus laughed, this time it was heard by Sidonius.

"What is so funny?" Sidonius demanded.

"One lesson that you will inevitably learn as you grow older, Sid," he explained. "Is that women will always find a way to blame you when they do not want to take responsibility for their own actions. Men are guilty of passing the blame, do not get me wrong, but women have perfected it to an art."

"Can you be easier on her? For your brother's sake?"

"No, that is something I am afraid I cannot do."

_Besides, _Severus thought to himself. _Taking away points from Gryffindors, especially little Miss Know-It-Alls was entirely too enjoyable._

* * *

Severus was standing in the middle of the countryside. Trees were all around him. He could hear the frightened screaming of a child not far ahead. Before he had time to think about what he was doing, his feet were carrying him down a long, tree-lined lane. A tiny commonplace cottage stood only fifty yards from him. He saw a woman dragging a small girl behind her. The girl was screaming.

"DADDY!"

"Anza!" Severus screamed back.

He ran as fast as his long legs could take him, but he was too late. The woman dragged the girl into the cottage… it exploded. Nothing was left but charred, broken pieces of wood. Two bodies were discernable in the wreckage – one of a woman and one of a tiny girl.

"Anza!"

Severus sat up in his bed with a jolt. It had been almost a year since the last time he had had that dream. He carefully got out of bed. A half-empty bottle of Ogden's Fire Whiskey was calling his name from the next room. His mind was still racing with memories of that horrible dream. Two drinks were required before he was able to calm down. He settled himself down on one of the sofas in the library, and stared at the dying embers in the fireplace.

"Daddy?" Anza walked in the room, rubbing her tired eyes. It was no wonder, the clock on the mantle read "You Should Be in Bed".

"What are you doing up, Anza?" He asked, his voice quiet and gentle, very different from the one he used in the classroom.

"I heard you say my name," she answered, climbing onto the couch next to her father. She snuggled in next to her father.

"I was having a bad dream," he explained to her.

"I am okay," she replied, her words confusing him.

"What?"

"I am okay. See? The mean lady didn't get me."

"What? What mean lady, Anza? Are you having bad dreams too?"

"No, but I know what you see when you have a bad dream."

Severus was unable to ask her what she meant by that last comment. She was fast asleep under his arm. What could she possibly mean when she said she knew what he saw? Anza was no normal child for her age. No, he had been aware of that for a long time. She was feisty and independent, to be sure, but there was something… something that set her apart. Perhaps it was just the father in him thinking. Parents always believed that there was something remarkable about their children.

* * *

There was little time for Severus to dwell on his nightmares or on his daughter's strange words. The end of the school year was coming quickly. Strange how quickly months can fly by when one is involved in something they are passionate about. And Severus was as passionate about potion brewing as anyone Albus Dumbledore had ever met. Often he had to remind the young professor to take it easy or to slow down. His words were, naturally, unheeded by Severus, but Albus tried nonetheless.

The wizarding world was certainly quieter these days, Severus was more than happy to see. It appeared that he might be able to have that happy life with his daughter that he wished. Was that not the reason he had gone to Professor Dumbledore in the first place? Was that not the reason he risked his life to spy for the Order of the Phoenix? It was a shock to him when he opened the _Daily Prophet_ one morning at breakfast to read about Frank and Alice Longbottom… tortured into madness by the Cruciatus curse. He followed the story of the Lestranges and Barty Crouch, Jr. with almost maniacal fervor. They were all sent to Azkaban for their role in the demise of the Longbottoms, Bellatrix yelling out with passion that the Dark Lord would return. The events brought Severus out of the comfort that he had found within the castle walls, and back to reality. The memories he had of the time spent as a Death Eater were all too real for him.

He was in the Great Hall eating breakfast on the very last day of the school year. Final exams were completely over, Sidonius had been ever so thankful to inform him when he was done with his last O.W.L. The Leaving Feast was to take place that very evening with the students leaving the next day. He was preparing himself for a nice long break from teaching. Maybe he would take Anza on a trip to Andorra to visit Simon and his family. He had not seen his brother since the day of Speranza's memorial service. Had five years already passed? He could hardly believe it. As he buttered a piece of toast, a large owl swooped above him to drop an envelope. The writing was familiar, but he was not entirely sure who it was. Dropping the toast, he opened the seal and found to his horror…

_My darling Severus,_

_You have failed. You have turned your back completely on the Dark Lord. You are a traitor. You will pay._

_Your darling, Marina_

There was deep sarcasm in the way she had addressed him as her darling and the way she called herself his darling. Even on parchment Severus could read that much. He had not heard from his wife… ex-wife since the day she left the manor. To be truthful he had no desire to see her again, but to suddenly be sent a letter such as this… it was confusing to say the least. He knew Marina… oh, he knew her too well. Her threats were empty. He was unconcerned. Retrieving his toast, he crumpled up the note from his ex-wife and resumed eating.

"Say goodbye to your father, Anza," Poppy Pomfrey said.

Every day Anza ate at a little table behind the Head table. Poppy and Severus alternately kept their eyes on her to be sure that nothing happened to her or that she did not do anything. Anza was continually getting herself into sticky situations. She would need to be kept under strict watch and control, as she got older to prevent herself from seriously getting injured. Poppy would take her with her every day to the infirmary after breakfast. There Anza would keep the healer company or play with her toys and picture books in a quiet corner.

"Bye," Anza said as she hugged her father from behind.

He turned to say goodbye to her too, that he would see her at the end of the day when classes were over. The routine was simple. It was the same thing every day with little to no variance. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary on this day except for a strange feeling that Severus had within his gut. Something was wrong. Anza seemed perfectly fine though she hugged her father a little harder than usual and lingered behind him a little longer. It was Poppy who was different. Her actions, her movements, her mannerisms were the same… but, oh who was he kidding? His overly suspicious nature was making something out of nothing.

"I will see you later, Anza," he promised.

Poppy took little Miss Snape's hand to lead her out the door behind the head table. There was nothing different in the situation or in the routine, but Severus could not shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. He went back to his coffee, thinking that perhaps he was just fooling himself again. He had almost convinced himself entirely that nothing was wrong when the back doors to the Great Hall slammed open. A frantic, apparently injured Poppy Pomfrey ran as fast as she could, under the circumstances, to the Head Table. Severus rose to his feet immediately.

"What is it, Poppy?" Albus asked in a hushed voice so that the hundreds of on looking students could not hear him.

"I was attacked in Hogsmeade," she explained, tears welling up in her eyes.

"When?" Severus demanded. "You left here not three minutes ago."

"That was not me," she answered, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "That was an imposter."

Severus leapt from the table and disappeared into the same door that the fake Poppy Pomfrey and Anza had gone through. Someone had kidnapped his daughter and he knew exactly who it was.

* * *

_Naturally the words spoken by Snape during his first lesson are not mine. They belong of course, to the genius herself, J.K. Rowling._


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Of course it was Marina. Even without that lovely note he received at breakfast Severus could have recognized his ex-wife's handiwork. She was evil… pure, unadulterated evil. He did not know if it was the years she spent studying under the darkest Headmaster Durmstrang Institute had ever known. He was not sure if her 'colorful' family was to blame. He did not know if she turned evil because her parents died when she was so young. He did not know if the influence and power of the fallen Dark Lord were to blame. He just knew that Marina had his child… and she was going to pay.

"Severus, wait!" The Headmaster called after him. Despite the fact that he was well over a hundred years old, Albus Dumbledore was not even winded though he had just run after the younger wizard through three long corridors.

"I cannot," Severus called back to him, not even slowing his stride. "Every moment I waste she gets further away."

"Minerva just checked the Floo network," Albus continued. "At half past seven this morning a woman and a young girl left the hospital wing through the fireplace."

Severus came to an abrupt halt.

"Are you certain?" He demanded impatiently, the look of terror and anxiety over what was to become of his daughter written all over his pallid features.

"Minerva has never let me down before," Albus replied.

"Where did they end up?"

"We are not sure yet. Minerva sent an owl to the Ministry of Magic…"

"There is not enough time!"

Albus closed the gap between himself and the Potions master. He placed a reassuring hand on Severus' shaking shoulder. Severus looked as if he could not stand still. His daughter was out there in the hands of a woman he considered depraved and quite possibly mad.

"Minerva sent an owl to the Ministry of Magic," Albus continued. "Soon they will be able to tell us just where Miss Anza and her captor went after they left the hospital wing."

"How quick…"

"The Ministry has naturally already been informed of what has happened to your daughter. I daresay the Ministry is more than capable, despite recent reports in the _Daily Prophet_, to find Miss Snape."

"I cannot just stand here in the castle waiting for them!" Severus shouted. "You do not understand the woman that we are dealing with!"

"Are you confident you know who took your daughter?" Albus's face grew stern.

"My ex-wife."

"Are you certain?"

"Without a doubt."

"I will be sure to pass that information on to the proper channels."

Professor McGonagall and a frantic Madam Pomfrey met the two wizards in the corridor. Poppy was disheveled to say the least. Her hair, usually tidy under her signature hat, was loose and full of what looked to be pieces of twig. She was covered in dirt; her robes were filthy. Blood was dried on the side of her face. Her eyes were wild and full of tears.

"Severus…" Poppy began, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Not now, Poppy!" He snapped, immediately wishing he had not when she burst into a fit of tears.

"As you should be undoubtedly aware, Severus," began Albus Dumbledore in a cool, threatening voice very few ever heard him use. "Poppy was attacked in Hogsmeade. She may be able to give us information that we do not already have."

Of course Albus was right, even Severus knew that. Surely Poppy saw something that could be of help to the search for Anza. He could just hardly stand still. Somewhere, by now there was no telling where, Marina had his precious daughter… the daughter she had been only too happy to abandon. She for a reason he did not know believed that he had been a traitor… _could she possibly know he was a spy?_ No, he quickly dismissed that. He only became a spy months after she left and months after she removed herself from Lord Voldemort's Inner Circle. How she managed to get out, when to bow before the Dark Lord meant a lifetime of servitude or death, he could not possibly imagine. Perhaps her family's influence, the damned family that had gotten him tangled up with her in the first place, managed to get Marina out.

"All right," Severus barked. "What happened?"

Poppy had to take several deep breaths and wipe away her streaming tears on Albus' handkerchief before beginning her story.

"Last night, as it was a Saturday and my day off, I decided to do a little shopping in Hogsmeade. I had a few things that I needed to pick up from the stores. The hospital ward was running precariously low on some basic first aid materials. It seems that the end of the year always brings in more superficial injuries…"

"Get on with it, Poppy!" Severus demanded.

"Oh, yes, sorry," her voice was scratchy and she looked as if she was about to cry again. "I was in the Three Broomsticks having dinner when a remarkable woman sat with me. She started asking me all kinds of questions. A real charming witch, powerful too… I could feel the magical energy radiating from her. We spoke for a very long time. She spoke perfect English I was pleased to hear. So often when you speak with foreign witches or wizards it can be difficult to understand…"

"Poppy!"

"At a quarter to eleven I decided that I needed to end my conversation…"

"What was her name?" Albus asked patiently.

"Something foreign… Mariska or something like that. Her accent was fairly thick. So… as I was saying, I left the Three Broomsticks before eleven last night. As I was walking down the lane towards Hogwarts, someone jumped out of the forest and attacked me! Well, I have never, not even when I was a much younger witch, been attacked and I certainly was not going to let some young hooligan injure me when I still had my wand with me.

"Before the person was able to hurt me, I pulled out my wand. I was not able to do any magic, they were too close… but I did manage to scratch whoever they were pretty fiercely in the cheek. There is still some blood on my wand. They did not take that lightly. Whoever it was threw me on the ground and hit me over the head with a rock. I only woke up and remembered how I ended up in the middle of the forest a few minutes before I ran into the Great Hall."

Madam Pomfrey collapsed into sobs at the end of her story. Her adventure the night before had obviously taken a lot of strength out of her, not to mention she had just been informed by Professor McGonagall that Anza, the young girl who reminded her so much of her deceased granddaughter Pireta, was kidnapped. The end of the school year was always difficult for the talented healer, but this year was too much.

"Would you be able to identify the woman you spoke with last night?" Albus asked, again patient and gentle with the exhausted woman.

"I am certain I would."

"Was she the one that attacked you?"

"Now that you mention it…" Poppy looked horrified at the thought. "No… the attacker was definitely a male. He was fairly large, but still quite young. I think the woman was near us though… strange, I do not know why I believe that. I am sorry… it is all still so fuzzy."

Severus ran down into the dungeons to his residence. There was a picture he needed Poppy Pomfrey to see to confirm his suspicions.

"Was this the woman you saw last night?" Severus asked, gruffly shoving his wedding picture into Poppy's hands. Neither he nor Marina pretended for the camera that they were pleased to have just been married. Scowls were evident on both of their faces. He only remained in the picture half the time… much preferring to escape the frame.

"Yes, that is her," Poppy exclaimed, almost dropping the picture in her agitation.

"So Miss Snape's mother attacked Poppy on her way back to Hogwarts," Minerva said aloud. "That certainly does seem to prove guilt, but how can you be certain that she was the one who took Anza? We all saw her. We all sat with this woman at breakfast this morning as if nothing was wrong or strange or out of the ordinary. How could it possibly have been Mrs. Snape?"

"The former Mrs. Snape," Severus corrected her, an audible growl in his voice. "It is quite simple actually… I cannot believe I did not actually think how this could be possible."

He wanted to hit something and hit it hard. He wanted Marina to be standing in front of him at that moment so he could curse her into oblivion. He felt like a jungle cat pacing in a too-small cage.

"Please, do tell," snapped Minerva McGonagall, obviously under strain herself and anxious to hear Severus' theory.

"Polyjuice potion," was all he said, as if that was supposed to mean something to all of those gathered around him.

"What is polyjuice potion?" Albus asked, also beginning to get frustrated with the lack of information.

"The polyjuice potion allows a person to assume the form and shape of another," answered a voice that was long past annoying to the ears of the Potions master.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for sticking your nose into business that is not yours, Miss Horton," Professor Severus Snape retorted without so much as looking at the girl who had come up on the group.

"Come now, Severus," snapped the Head of Gryffindor House. "She was only trying to help!"

"I do not require help from the likes of her!" His nerves, which were considerably thinner than the staff at any time, were considerably so at that moment.

"Is Marina talented with Potions, Severus?" Albus asked delicately, seeing the strain in the young wizard's eyes.

"No, not at all," he answered quietly. "She is complete rubbish in that department. It was always her… It was always her uncle who brewed potions for her."

Damn him. Damn Kurach. He was behind this. He was behind the plot to kidnap his daughter. Oh, Kurach was going to pay. He and his precious Marinochka were going to pay dearly.

"Headmaster?" Veda Horton interjected.

"Miss Horton, we are in the middle of something terribly important," the weary Headmaster replied to the all-too-eager Gryffindor. "Perhaps later?"

"It has to do with Sidonius," she replied, not allowing the Headmaster to simply brush her off.

This bit of information immediately caught Severus' attention. He turned to look at the young girl for the first time since she entered the group without invitation. Despite his better judgment Severus found himself concerned for the girl. Red streaks were all over her face, she had been crying for a long time it seemed. The beginning of a black eye was showing. Her hair was in disarray and her robes were torn. She looked like she had been in quite the battle.

"What about Sidonius?" Severus demanded, forgetting his rage at his daughter's kidnapping for a moment to worry about his younger brother. He was always getting himself into trouble.

"I had to put a fully body bind on him in the greenhouse," she answered, her eyes piercing into the floor.

"What?" All four members of the staff present asked the same question in unison.

"Child, did Sidonius hurt you?" Albus asked, placing a comforting hand on Veda's shaking shoulder.

"Yes." She could hardly bring herself to say the word.

"Liar!" yelled Severus. His brother would never hurt anyone, let alone the girl he had only just claimed a few days earlier to him to have fallen in love with. "Another ten points from Gryffindor for lying!"

"I am not lying!" She screamed back, the first time she had ever raised her voice to a teacher. Her bright blue eyes bore into Severus' without some much as a flinch. Despite himself he could read very clearly in her eyes that Sidonius was the one indeed who had hurt her.

"Where is he!" Severus demanded, rushing into the Entrance Hall and out the front door of the castle. He was not going to allow his brother to be an abuser, especially not a woman abuser. Thoughts of Anza were still in his mind, without a doubt, but now he needed to find that boy and knock some sense into him.

"Please, sir!" Veda pleaded, grabbing a hold of Severus' arm. "It is not his fault!"

"That is not an excuse worthy of breath," Severus replied coolly, finding himself feeling sorry for this young, foolish girl.

"It is not his fault!" She repeated. "He was under the influence of the Imperius Curse!"

Severus stopped dead in his tracks. The staff members who had followed him out on the grounds reached Veda and her potions professor the moment she made that declaration.

"The Imperius Curse?" Madam Pomfrey asked. "You must be mistaken, Miss Horton."

"No, respectfully Madam Pomfrey, I am not," she adamantly responded. "I have read all about the Unforgivables. Something has been very strange about him for a week now. I went to meet him in the greenhouses this morning, like I do almost every morning before breakfast. On my way into Greenhouse seven I saw him speaking in hushed tones to a woman I have never seen before. When I confronted him, the woman muttered something under her breath and he hit me."

The memory of her boyfriend striking her was still fresh in her mind. Severus could see the pain that it caused her to think about what happened.

"Then he dragged me into this secret part of the greenhouses. He tried to hit me again, we struggled for a long time, but I was finally able to get a hold of my wand. I used the _Petrificus Totalus_ charm. He must still be there."

"What woman?" Severus demanded. He shoved the same picture he shoved under Poppy's nose under Veda's. "Was it her?"

"Yes," she responded immediately. "She did something to Sidonius! She is the one who made him act so savagely!"

"Miss Horton, where was this secret part of the greenhouses that he took you? We must find him."

Albus Dumbledore was the one who asked the question, but there really was no need. Severus took off in the direction of the greenhouses, headed to a place he had not been since his days at Hogwarts. When he pushed open the secret door to the courtyard where he and Ursula had their first kiss, drank too much mead, and … well, shared another first, Veda confirmed that this was where Sidonius had taken her.

Sidonius was laying flat on his back in the middle of the courtyard. Miss Horton was as skilled with the body binding charm as Miss Granger would later prove to be. When Severus revived his brother, he saw that Miss Horton had been indeed telling the truth. Sidonius was clearly under the influence of a very powerful Imperius Curse.

"Allow me, Severus," volunteered the Headmaster. He looked into Sidonius Snape's eyes and tapped him on the head with his wand. "There… is that better?"

The glazed, menacing look fell off of Sidonius' face. Immediately he turned to see his girlfriend, another bruise becoming visible on her neck, and buried his face in his hands.

"Veda…" his voice was hardly a whisper. "I am so sorry. I tried to stop myself, but I couldn't. It was too powerful."

"Sid… what happened?" Severus demanded, ever aware that every moment they wasted he found himself worrying about the welfare of his child.

"It was Marina, Severus," he answered, their worst fears coming to seed. "I ran into her in Hogsmeade Saturday a week ago. Veda had gone into Gladrags with Lucy, so I headed over to the Three Broomsticks to meet some of my housemates. She was sitting in a booth in the back of the pub by herself. I hardly recognized her. She has certainly changed… and not for the better. She was always beautiful and healthy looking. Now she looks sick, as if she does not get enough sun."

"What happened when you saw her?" Severus asked, his voice the same tone he used to calm Anza when she had a nightmare or when the Bloody Baron stopped by for a visit with his Head of House.

"I went over to say hello. I always liked her… until that summer before she left. She was terrible then," Sidonius continued, his eyes stinging with the threat of tears. No, he would not allow himself to cry in front of his teachers, especially not his elder brother. "When I said hello to her, she smiled at me, but it wasn't warm, not by any means. She asked me to sit with her and have some lunch. She was acting very strangely, too sweet. I felt a little uncomfortable being with her, actually at one point wanted to go back to the castle to find you, Severus, but something kept me there at that table.

"She asked me how school was going and asked me about Veda. Somehow she knew I just had my O.W.L.s because she asked me how I thought I did. Not once did she mention you, Severus, but I did not really think she would to be honest. I thought she might ask after Anza, but she didn't. She rattled on about her life since she returned to Russia, mentioned her uncle, said something about waiting to meet Lucius Malfoy in London… I have always hated that wizard. There is something about him that I just hate."

"You will find that is not an uncommon feeling," his elder brother responded under his breath, not in the least surprised to hear that Lucius had been in contact with his ex-wife.

"At one point during lunch, she looked around the room suspiciously, like she was looking to see if anyone was watching. She took her wand out of her pocket and put me under the Imperius Curse. I have never felt anything like it."

"Few have," Albus said, shaking his head.

"I felt all funny," Sidonius continued. "I tried to shake it off, but she is a powerful witch. She started telling me to do all of these things for her."

"Like what?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I had to find out exactly where Anza was at all times of the day. For an entire day I followed her around. Marina met me in the greenhouses every day. When she found out that Anza was watched day after day by Madam Pomfrey, she told me to watch her… to study her movements… to know exactly when and how she left the Great Hall with Anza every morning."

"Was there anything else?" Severus asked when his brother had grown quiet.

"She made me…" he looked sheepishly at Madam Pomfrey. "She made me wait in the forest last night for Madam Pomfrey. When I saw her I attacked her with a rock. She put up a struggle, managed to push me off of her… I landed in a heap in the forest. Marina had been watching the entire thing from a few yards away. She ran to us and started to attack Madam Pomfrey again. Last I saw Marina had a large cut on her face from Madam Pomfrey's wand."

"There were two!" exclaimed Poppy Pomfrey. "It has been difficult keeping reality and what I dreamed laying in the forest separate. I thought I dreamed the second person."

Poppy Pomfrey looked relieved that she was not losing her mind, but Sidonius looked anything but relieved. Against his better wishes tears began to roll down his cheek. Veda put a reassuring arm around him, but he could not bear to look at her. He was too ashamed by what Marina had made him do under the influence of the Imperius Curse. He shrugged her arm off of him.

"Then this morning…" Sidonius continued. "Veda found me speaking with Marina. She made me hit her. She wanted me to…" He looked down to the ground. "Wanted me to kill her."

There was silence, especially on the part of Veda. She, who was always so vocal and confident, was unsure of herself. Though it was not his fault, her boyfriend had tried to kill her that morning in the privacy of a secret greenhouse courtyard.

"But you did not kill me," Veda reminded him, placing her hand back on his shoulder.

"Not for lack of trying!" He snapped, his face red with shame and embarrassment. "If you were not as good in charms as you are… I don't want to think."

There was silence again, as everyone present did indeed imagine what might have happened to Veda Horton if she did not pay attention to Professor Flitwick. This time, however, the silence was broken by a couple of large eagle owls swooping down upon them. Each of them carried letters for Professor McGonagall. She opened them up furiously, obviously aware of what information they contained.

"Severus," she said in a calm voice rarely heard from the Head of Gryffindor House. "This is from the Floo Network offices. Your daughter, once she left the hospital wing flooed to a mansion in Wiltshire."

"Damn Lucius," Severus muttered under his breath.

"From there, she flooed to a shop in Knockturn Alley… Borgin and Burkes."

"Another Lucius favorite," he said to himself.

"As far as the Ministry can tell, she did not Floo anywhere else after that."

"So she must still be in London!" exclaimed Veda, who had grown to adore the young Snape, out from under the watchful eye of Professor Snape that is. She and Sidonius often visited Anza in the hospital wing or took her outside to play in the grounds after lessons.

"The other letter," Minerva continued to explain. "Is from the department of Magical Law Enforcement. They have sent out Aurors with Anza's picture, magical identification as well as her mother's. They are sweeping the entire Knockturn and Diagon Alley area. We have been assured that the full power of the Ministry is being used to find Anza and her mother. Posters have already been posted in Hogsmeade, London and all other magical areas. The authorities in both Siberia and the headmaster at the Durmstrang Institute have all been informed of the situation."

"It seems that all we can do is wait," sighed Albus, obviously upset that they were unable to do anything.

"Every moment we sit here and wait is another moment that Anza gets further away," Severus retorted, his nerves wearing thin. "Poppy, may I borrow your wand?"

"Certainly," she handed him the wand caked in the blood of his ex-wife.

"I will return it when I am finished," he said, storming off towards the castle. "And fifty points to Gryffindor for not getting yourself killed!"

_Ouch_, those points hurt him.

It was ironic that the information he needed to discover to find out the whereabouts of his daughter had to be uncovered by a potion his potions mentor taught him in the first month that he studied under him. Miloslav Kurach was responsible for the kidnapping of his niece; there was not a single doubt in Severus' mind. Strange that he had to give credit to the man because he taught him what to do.

"Stir three times counterclockwise with a lead spoon," he read quietly under his breath.

He was performing a complex locating spell. A normal locating spell, one very similar to the one Ursula used to find him the night he discovered his sister died, was effective, but only to a certain distance. Using the blood that he managed to scrape off of Poppy's wand before he had a house elf return it to her, he brewed a complex potion. Once completed he would be able to soak a map of Europe in the mixture. After soaking in the cauldron for three unbearable hours, Severus would be able to locate his "beloved" Marina. This was a technique often employed by the Dark Lord to find the hiding places of wizards and witches he was intent on killing or forcing to join his side.

The potion was completed. The map was soaking. All Severus could do was wait.

"Daddy!"

He heard Anza screaming. She was not very far from him at all. He opened his eyes fully to take in the surroundings. He was back in the blasted countryside again. There was the same lane of trees, shouts coming from just beyond them. He ran… he ran faster than he had ever run in his life. The same blasted cottage rose into the background. A woman, whom he now knew to be Marina, dragged his precious Anza roughly behind her. Anza was screaming, her auburn hair escaping from the plaits she wore it in. Tears ran down her face.

"Daddy!"

He was too late. The cottage was destroyed before he even had a chance to move closer.

"Severus!"

He felt two strong arms shake him. Unaware that he allowed himself to fall asleep Severus was quite confused when the view of the Headmaster hit him.

"Headmaster…" it took him a few moments to remember where he was and what he had been doing.

"I thought you would like to know that Lucius Malfoy was taken into the Ministry of Magic for questioning," informed Albus.

"And?" He was anxious for any news, however trivial.

"As can be expected, Lucius has claimed innocence," the Headmaster sighed, all too aware of the kind of wizard Lucius Malfoy really was. "He admitted that he knew Marina years ago, but had not seen her since before she divorced you. As far as the knowledge that she and Anza flooed to his mansion, he pleaded ignorance. He claimed that he and Marina had an affair when she was still your wife…"

"I already knew that."

"All right then… He claimed that she had not gotten over him in all of these years, that she was still obsessed with him. He mentioned that she owled him frequently, but that he had tried to break off contact unsuccessfully. He was not in the mansion today when they arrived by the fireplace."

"He claims to have had nothing to do with Anza?" Severus asked, incredulous to what he was hearing. "Of course he had something to do with it."

"The Ministry believed him."

Severus stood up from the armchair he had dozed off in with a sigh. Lucius could, and had, gotten away with murder. Slip a little gold into the right hand and you could do whatever you wanted. As he paced his private workroom he remembered the potion he had been working on. Checking the time on the clock he was aware that three hours had indeed passed since he put the map in the cauldron. Using a pair of heavy-duty forceps, he pulled the soaked map out to place on the table.

"What is this?" Albus asked, always interested in new potions, despite him being a poor brewer.

"It is a complex locating spell," Severus explained, frustrated with the intrusion.

A single flashing spot in the middle of Dublin revealed Marina's location.

"There she is," Severus pointed to the dot in Ireland.

"I wish you would leave this to the Ministry, Severus" Albus pleaded. "It is quite dangerous for you to do this on your own."

Severus chose not to hear.

He followed his ex-wife for a month. When he Apparated to Dublin she and Anza had already left for Brussels. By the time he was able to locate where they were staying in Belgium, they were already in Madrid. He found their hotel room empty just moments after they flooed to Venice. Each time he managed to get closer and closer to them before they fled again. In Berlin he saw his daughter's face. It was usually smiling, but this face was not one he liked to see. Anza was sobbing and angry.

Marina tended to prefer Eastern European countries where it was easier for her to blend in. She never stayed in any one place too long. Somehow she always knew when Severus was just behind her. The Ministry of Magic was a joke. They were still in Britain a month after Anza was kidnapped. It was fortunate that the professor did not rely on the Ministry in his search. By unknowingly providing him with a sample of her blood, Marina made it possible for Severus to know each city she was in and roughly where in each city she was located.

He saw more of Europe searching for his daughter than he had ever seen in his entire life. Every day or two he was traveling to a new city, usually in a new country. He traveled across Poland, Ukraine, and patches of Russia. He spent a week moving from Finland to Sweden to Norway to Iceland. Magical means of transportation changed his quest. There was no set pattern to Marina's journey. Marina could travel to whatever country she wished. It had to be easier, Severus admitted, for him to move about than for her. Severus could apparate and disapparate at will. Marina had to move with two-year-old Anza. She had to take advantage of the Floo network, which could easily monitor her movements. Her preferred mode of transport was a portkey. They were harder to come by, but the Velousov name gave her privileges most could only dream of.

He followed Marina to the Mediterranean before he thought to ask for help. Determined to save his daughter himself, Severus did not wish to involve anyone else. As he sat exhausted in a tiny café full of wizards and witches on holiday in Turkey, he finally relented. By nightfall of that day his older brother Simon was standing in front of him.

"What information have you gathered about the whereabouts of Marina?" Simon asked once the brothers greeted each other.

Severus pulled the map of Europe he had been using out of his pockets. Simon took it from him, obviously impressed by his work. He studied it for several minutes before he spoke.

"This is remarkable, Severus."

"It was not difficult to make," Severus assured him, brushing off the compliments that his brother made. "Given the right instruction anyone could do the same."

"Do not sell yourself so short," Simon chastised him. He eyed the map with even greater interest. "How much dark magic did you have to use to make this, Severus?"

The younger of the two brothers did not like the tone his brother used. Severus snatched the map out of Simon's hand.

"Enough," was his simple reply.

"I swear you are becoming more like our father every day," Simon muttered under his breath, but still loud enough for Severus to hear.

"I am nothing like that man!" He raised his voice, gaining several stares from the other patrons of the café.

"Perhaps you believe that, but forgive me if I disagree."

There was a tense silence between the men for several minutes.

"How could you say something like that to me… especially now?" Severus demanded, his voice the same flat tone he used in his classroom.

"Father has always been willing to go to the dark side if it can get him the effect or the outcome he desires." Simon's voice was just as flat.

"Are you saying that I will do anything… anything in my power to get what I want?"

"I was simply thinking out loud that maybe you are too rash in your decisions. Maybe you have been under the influence of that man for way too long."

"I am worried about my daughter, Simon," his voice was icy, the tone that would make many run from him in terror, but only caused his brother to let out a quiet sigh.

"If it weren't for Father you would not even have a daughter to be worried about. You certainly would not have an ex-wife willing to kidnap your child either."

"And if it weren't for Julian Malfoy you would not have your daughter Grace."

Severus gently reminded him of the daughter he adopted. It had been years since they last saw each other. Simon made Severus swear not to do anything dangerous, that he had people looking into the death of their sister Speranza. A great deal had changed in Severus' life. He was not about to let his older brother lecture him about any of the decisions he made. He was his own worst critic besides.

"Forget Father," Severus finally said when the two brothers looked at each other with such malice that he feared it would not be long before a duel broke out. "What is done is done. I cannot go back to the past to change what happened. I married Marina. It was the biggest mistake of my life."

"You should have stood up to Father."

"I should have done a lot of things," His frustration was dangerous. "This has nothing to do with Father. I made the mistake. I did not stand up to him as you so kindly reminded me. I married Marina, but out of that colossal mistake I received the greatest gift imaginable. You do not know Anza or you would not be so quick to dismiss her."

Severus found himself wondering why he had even bothered to include his brother in the search. Simon had contacts, all right, but he wondered if it was all worth it. Simon was so intent on reminding his younger brother of all the terrible things that he had done or what their father had done that Severus was afraid that time was being wasted. He needed to find his daughter quickly.

"Perhaps you are right," conceded Simon. "Children are innocents despite the things that their parents have done. Anza needs to be saved."

Finally something they agreed on.

"Marina knows you have been following her, yes?"

"Of course she knows. Of course she would know that I would do anything to find my daughter. That is why she took her. She also knows I have been following her because everywhere I go she leaves before I get there. That is not the action of a woman who does not know she is being followed."

"The longer this search goes on, the less chance there is of finding Anza and being able to bring her home," Simon said after a few minutes more of serious thinking. "Besides you need to return to Hogwarts soon. The new term will begin in a few weeks."

"I do not care about my post," Severus snapped. "It is being covered while I find my daughter. Even if it was not covered, I would not care. There are some things in life that are more important than a steady paycheck."

"You need to stop following Marina," Simon instructed much to Severus' horror. "No, I know what you think I mean, but that is not it. She needs to feel like she has lost you, that she can slow down."

"To catch her off guard?"

"Exactly. When she feels safe… that is when we are going to be able to get Anza back."

"She has a great number of contacts," Severus explained. "Her family is very powerful."

"No need to tell me that. I know all about the Velousovs. Another great idea of Father's getting you mixed up with people like that."

There was another tense silence. Severus no longer wished to be around his brother. He almost wondered if he had made a mistake enlisting his help, until he remembered something very important about his brother. Though he was unhappy with Severus' actions as well as the actions of their father, Simon would not allow an innocent child like Anza to suffer. He would do everything in his power to bring her home to her father safely.

"I will be in contact with you, Severus," Simon announced as he stood up from the table. "Be ready at a moment's notice."

Simon Snape left the café, his brother left hoping he had made the right decision.

Only three days after meeting his brother in the café in Turkey, Severus was sitting in his darkened hotel room. His brother told him to be ready at a moment's notice and he had been… for three entire days. Sitting in the room, waiting for the signal from his brother was maddening. While he knew that Marina, naturally suspicious in her own right, would be easier to track if she felt like she was no longer being followed it was still wearisome. Lull her into complacency. That was the plan. It was an infuriating plan for a man used to being in on the action. Had he not been a spy against the darkest wizard the world had yet known? Did he not risk his life every day for over a year feeding information to the resistance? He was used to danger and wanted to be right in the thick of it.

Severus was just about to forget his brother's advice and head out on his own when a large barn owl swooped into his open window. The owl stayed only long enough to drop a letter at Severus' feet.

_Apparate ten miles east of French village of Ceret as soon as you receive this._

The message was written in Simon's always tidy scrawl. Severus wasted no time at all in following his brother's instructions. Focusing on the area he wrote in his note Severus Apparated ten miles to the East of Ceret.

It was like entering a bad dream… but it was. He was standing in the countryside he had dreamed about for four years. Somehow he managed to apparate directly to the tree-lined lane that had haunted his sleeping hours. He heard a woman cursing not far from him followed by the cries of a little girl.

"Anza!" He called out.

"Daddy?" The little girl began to scream. The woman began to curse even louder.

This was no longer a dream. Severus had to keep reminding himself as he stood in the eerie quiet of this unfamiliar country.

"Daddy!" Anza screamed, her voice carried over the wind.

He had to act now. Every time he had this dream he ran only to not be able to reach his daughter in time. He was not about to let that happen this time. Severus ran as fast as he could down the lane. A stitch formed in his side, but he paid it no heed. At the end of the lane he saw an all too familiar cottage looming before him. A woman… _Marina_ dragged his precious daughter viciously behind her. Anza was sobbing, she sobbed even harder when she saw the familiar figure of her father appear.

"Anza!"

"Daddy!"

He was not going to let anything hurt his precious girl. Too often he watched helplessly as he dreamed her death. If it took every ounce of strength in him, he was not going to let that happen. He quickened his pace just as Marina quickened hers. Anza could not keep up with her mother; she was being dragged behind screaming. They were almost to the cottage. Whatever happened he could not let them make it inside.

"Marina, stop!" He pleaded, but his cries fell on deaf ears.

His former wife stopped on the front step of the cottage and turned to give her husband a nasty leer. He ran faster than he had ever run in his life, but they were too far. The moment the mother dragged her daughter into the cottage, just like every nightmare he had, the cottage exploded. Knocked to the ground by the blast, his heart beating too quickly… and broken, he collapsed in a heap on the ground to sob.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

How Severus managed to make it to his feet after witnessing the explosion was a mystery even to the wizard a hundred years after it happened. The shock of what he had just witnessed combined with the fact that he had not slept more than three hours at a time since the day his daughter was kidnapped right under his nose in the Great Hall, made those few hours right after the explosion feel like a dream. Ten minutes after the explosion, when Severus had fully come to realize just what had happened, he heard the distinct sounds of apparation.

"Oh my god."

Severus hardly paid any attention to who just arrived around him. He could not stand up. If he did, he felt sure that he would be too weak to hold himself up or that he would be sick. There was a flurry of activity all around him, but he did not pay them any mind.

"Severus."

He knew that voice very well. It belonged to the one person in the world that he did not want to disappoint. Furious with himself that he could not or did not save his daughter, Severus could not bear to look the man in the eye.

"Headmaster…" He could hardly even say the words. "What are you…"

"Your brother Simon sent an owl to inform me that his contacts found Miss Anza…"

Albus Dumbledore surveyed the scene in front of him. At least a dozen Ministry of Magic officials from both the British Ministry and the French Ministry were swarming the area. The cottage was a complete loss. Smoke rose from the fire that continued to rage. Several wizards were working swiftly to put the fire out. Though he knew that he had to remain strong for the younger wizard who had just suffered the worst loss imaginable, Albus could hardly bring himself to keep from breaking at the sight. When he saw a little broken body pulled from the wreckage, he found his twinkling eyes full of tears. An innocent child… it was too much for him. Albus Dumbledore found himself at that moment thankful that Marina Velousova did not survive the blast. He, usually so gentle and kind, was grateful that she was dead… because at the sight of poor little Anza he would have killed her immediately.

"Come on, Severus," Albus said, pulling the younger wizard to hit feet. "Let's go back to Hogwarts. There is nothing left that you can do here."

* * *

Severus heard the unmistakable sound of sniffling beside him. When he turned to look at his young granddaughter, he saw her face hidden under a stream of tears. He had forgotten, so many years after the fact, how painful it had been to watch helplessly as his daughter died. A hundred years had already passed, but it still hurt.

"I never knew," Muirgen whispered, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeves.

"Naturally it is not a memory that I care to share," he answered, not able to reach the eyes of the young girl.

"I imagine not," her voice was full of emotion. How strange it must be to learn of the murder of an aunt in such a way.

Muirgen put her arms around the midsection of her grandfather. He held her as she cried… comforting her in only the way a man who remembers having young teenage daughters can. His wife, usually so straightforward and reasonable, had her bouts of emotion. His daughters, with the exception of his youngest, he thought with a smile, were rarely overtly emotional, taking after their father more than their mother. Olivia, his youngest daughter, was prone, especially as a teenager, to bouts of wild emotion. One moment she would be extremely happy, the next she would be sobbing over the tiniest thing. Severus had quite a bit of experience calming the young girl down. If one included the hundreds of times he had to calm a teenage girl from his House down, he might have even been considered an expert.

"What happened next?" Muirgen asked once she was calmer.

"Are you certain you wish to continue?"

"Yes."

* * *

Severus and Muirgen continued the journey of his past. Once he returned to the castle with Albus after the explosion, Severus did exactly what everyone feared he would do. He threw himself completely into his work. His health began to suffer. When he was not teaching, or rather yelling at his students or prowling the corridors waiting for someone to break a school rule, he was bent over a bubbling cauldron. He sealed the door to Anza's room shut, moved his armoire in front of it… his way of trying to remove the memories of what had been a happy home.

Years past in this way. Every year that a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor resigned, he applied for the position. It was still his wish to keep young students from going down the same path he went down. Albus kindly reminded him every year that since he was one of the best potions brewers in Britain, his expertise was needed in that area. That answer always infuriated him. He lost friendships in these years. Cordelia Goyle, who had been an excellent friend since they were eleven, simply stopped communicating with him. She grew tired of him closing himself to her, and felt that he would be best to deal with his grief on his own. He was not allowing anyone to help him.

His relationship with his younger brother suffered, as much as it pained him to realize so. Sidonius always felt responsible for the kidnapping and subsequent death of Anza. Severus never tried to make him feel otherwise. It was not that Severus believed his brother to be responsible; he just never wished to bring the subject up. Sidonius left Hogwarts only a couple of years after Anza's death. He, as everyone who knew him expected him to do, married Veda Horton, a fact that caused great strife within the Snape clan. Veda was not only a Gryffindor who had no understanding of the life that a Snape wife was expected to lead, but she was the worst thing of all… Muggle born. Sidonius was promptly kicked out of the family, his name blasted off the Snape family tree. While he never admitted it to his brother, Severus admired the courage that his younger brother showed by defying the family. He stood up to their father when Severus had not. They owled each other frequently, but unfortunately, their relationship suffered while Severus mourned his loss.

The Snape family dwindled down through these years. Severus' father died soon after he had Sidonius removed from the family tree. Mrs. Snape followed soon after, her life without her husband and favorite son not good enough to sustain her. Schuyler died in Azkaban, his wife and children moved out the country to be with her family. Simon and his family were removed from the tree as well before his father died. Determined to prove his independence from his father, Simon made his father intensely angry. Severus' eldest brother Sterne was killed in an accident with his wife and three children. There was little information on what caused the accident or if it truly was an accident or not. So by some strange luck of chance, the fourth son of the family Snape, the son that was often neglected and forgotten, became the sole heir to the fortune. Though he owned his family manor, rarely if ever, did he visit it. The home was a structure full of terrible memories. He much preferred the dank of the dungeons to the elegance of the manor.

They were able to skip over many years of his memories. Most were the same. He spent many years skulking in the dungeons, taking points off for the least infraction, classes full of dunderheads. He lived a solitary existence; his thoughts never strayed far from his lost daughter and his ex-wife. In the face of every student he saw his Anza. It was a bitter potion to swallow every day.

The first few years that Harry Potter was a student at Hogwarts did not need to be revisited. Those stories had already entered into popular legend, and his wife was a veritable expert. Very little of what happened in those years was important. Severus sped through his memories to the moment where the rest of his story began.

* * *

Severus could still feel the clamminess of Sirius Black's hand. Oh, he had taken it all right. He did exactly as Albus Dumbledore had asked him. The Headmaster had just asked the two men to shake hands, to remember that they were on the same side of the fight against Voldemort. They shook hands, and Severus left the hospital ward as quickly as he could. There was something he needed to do. Earlier in the evening he felt the piercing sting of his Dark Mark. He was being summoned. It was a feeling he had forgotten, one he had not felt in years. The fool of a Minister of Magic did not believe him, even when he rolled up his sleeves to show the glowing Dark mark. What had the ministry come to?

He had not immediately Apparated to the Dark Lord's side. Severus needed to know from Dumbledore what action he should take. Then there was that problem with Harry suddenly disappearing from within in the maze. A frantic period of time ensued where it was damn near impossible for Severus to either meet with the Headmaster or get away to meet with the Dark Lord. Chaos was the only word fit to describe the Triwizard Tournament's third task. Fleur Delacour had been found near the opening of the maze with several broken ribs. Something had attacked her. Then they found the unconscious Viktor Krum. Once enervated he still could not explain what had happened to him. A thorough search of the maze found that both Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory were missing.

The burning on his arm intensified, but Severus could not leave the school grounds. He needed to find Dumbledore. Then they found Harry clutching Cedric's dead body. Severus went to Dumbledore, but before he even had a chance to ask what he should do, Dumbledore was following after the Mad-Eye Moody impersonator. The rest of that story, of what happened to Harry Potter that is, is written down in a hundred different biographies of the famous "Boy Who Lived".

So there he was… headed off to Merlin knows where in the middle of the night. He had been advised to apparate to where he had been initially summoned. If there was no one there, he was to apparate to the Malfoy manor to speak with Lucius. As it turned out, it was the second option. The Muggle graveyard he had become so accustomed with in the first war was completely empty. He was in luck when he arrived at Lucius Malfoy's Wiltshire manor.

"I must say I am surprised to see you here," Lucius Malfoy said when he caught sight of Severus in his front foyer.

"Why is that?" Severus asked quietly.

"We all assumed we would no longer be seeing you at our little _gatherings_."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Lucius," he spat out at the man before him. Usually able to keep his true feelings about Lucius Malfoy hidden from view, Severus was having a difficult time of it. "There was a problem at Hogwarts. Dumbledore was suspicious enough already. I could not get away."

A wicked grin crossed Lucius' features. Oh, how Severus longed to curse it off. His wand hand began to itch, begging him to lose control.

"The Dark Lord will not be happy to hear that," Malfoy continued. "He questioned your loyalty… all but told his _faithful_ followers to kill you."

Severus said nothing to this revelation. He lost count of the previous number of times Lord Voldemort said he needed to be murdered. The Dark Lord had a penchant for dramatics. When he was not applying the Cruciatus Curse to some poor soul he was threatening to have them exterminated.

"You will have to provide the Dark Lord with a better excuse than you provided me, Severus," Lucius spat. "But all is not lost. He is in the drawing room now. Plead your case and he may yet allow you to continue living."

Severus should have known the Dark Lord was in the house. The manor positively reeked of his presence. A mixture of sulphur, blood and what could only be described as a cloying, sickening pungent aroma assaulted the potions master's ultra sensitive sense of smell. The aura of the grand mansion was changed as well by his presence. What was usually a dark, clammy cool manor was made even more sinister and frightening. Strange how one entity could determine so much about a place.

Less than thirty seconds later, Severus was face to face with Lord Voldemort in his new serpentine body. The scent of his new body was almost overpowering to the young wizard ushered into his presence. Severus found it difficult to keep the bile rising in his throat from leaving his body entirely. He was reminiscent of the first time he ever had to bow before the Dark Lord on the night of his initiation into the league of Death Eaters. How many years had passed since that evening? He tried to figure it out while he stood, waiting for the Dark Lord to recognize his entry into the room, but the task was too difficult. Too many years had passed. He had trouble remembering how many. His life was unrecognizable from the life he led as a young eighteen-year-old wizard fresh out of Hogwarts. How could he expect to remember how much time had passed?

"I certainly did not expect to be graced with your presence again," the scratchy, ethereal voice of Lord Voldemort began scathingly when his lackey Wormtail pointed out Severus' arrival. "I was prepared to have your death serve as an example to my followers the importance of loyalty.

"Please forgive me, my lord," Severus said, throwing himself down at the feet of Voldemort. He kissed the hem of his robe, using every bit of strength he had to keep himself from vomiting on the evil figure before him. "I tried to get away from the school when you summoned, but Dumbledore kept me."

Voldemort hissed at the mention of Albus Dumbledore's name. It was no secret to anyone that Dumbledore was the only wizard he ever feared.

"He grew suspicious of me," Severus continued, his eyes still focused on the floor, his body still stooped before the Dark Lord. "Kept me at his side. I could not leave. Only after he was distracted by the return of the Potter boy was I able to slip out unnoticed."

"I remember all too well the meddling of that old fool," Voldemort hissed, sending cold shivers up and down Severus' spine. "He is a barrier, an obstruction we must break."

The Dark Lord looked pensive for a moment or two before raising his wand. Severus knew what was coming. He braced himself for the white hot shooting pain coursing through his body. He waited from the feeling that his eyes were going to burst, his tongue roll out of his head, his stomach rip open, his arms and legs curl up on each other. He waited for the Dark Lord to use his favorite form of punishment on him – the Cruciatus Curse. He waited, but it did not come. Voldemort simply raised his wand, let it hang in the air for the longest moments Severus had experienced in many years, and dropped it back down to his side.

"You have proven your loyalty to me tonight by returning here," Voldemort continued. "Your service is extremely valuable to me, whether you are aware of that or not. I require a spy…"

Severus felt his body go numb at that word. He already was a spy… for the right side, for the side that he longed would win. The prospect of playing a double agent was taxing on him before he even began. To continually play both sides, though his true loyalties were with Dumbledore, there was no mistake or doubt about that… to continually play both sides brought back to the terrifying memories he had when he was hardly in his twenties kissing his young daughter goodbye every day wondering if he would ever see her beautiful, smiling face again.

His heart constricted at the thought of Anza. Though she was often in his thoughts, he was usually able to suppress his emotions with work or any of the inane tasks he did around the castle. The year Harry Potter began school was the year that his Anza should have started… that fact was not lost on him. As he watched the terrified girls and boys of the first course walk up to the Sorting Hat, he could not help but imagine his own daughter walking up there. In his fantasy the hat would always scream out "Slytherin!" but he often wondered if she would have been the clever kind sorted into Ravenclaw. He rarely imagined that she would be in Hufflepuff, though the qualities that many in that house possessed were admirable qualities. He would have been proud no matter what house Anza was sorted into, although he was certain he would have a harder time accepting the fact if she had been sorted into Gryffindor.

"I require a spy within the Hogwarts castle," Voldemort continued. "Lucius informed me that you have been a professor working alongside Dumbledore for many years now."

"Yes, my Lord," Severus replied.

"Dumbledore must trust you to allow you so close to him and for so long." his words came out in hisses that made the hair on Severus' neck and arms stand up straight of their own accord. "You will be my eyes and ears within the castle, Severus."

"Yes, my Lord."

"You will tell me everything that you see or hear. You are also close to Harry Potter, are you not?"

"Unfortunately yes, I am, my Lord."

Voldemort was pleased with this answer. He laughed a mocking, wraithlike chuckle that made the three wizards in the room with him cringe.

"He managed to escape from my clutches again tonight," Voldemort continued when he finished the laugh. "In time… in time I will kill him. I will finish what I began years ago. You will be in the castle, Severus. You will find out what I need to know, anything that can help me defeat that old busybody and that boy… that wretched boy."

There was an eerie silence in the drawing room of the Malfoy manor for an indeterminable amount of time. Severus always had difficulty telling time or keeping track of it in the presence of the Dark Lord. Time seemed to drag on forever or stand completely still.

"You will also be in charge of potions," he finally continued. "Because Miloslav Kurach has better things to do with his time…"

Severus' heart hardened at the sound of Kurach's name. No one had spoken it in front of him for years. Any time he came across his former mentor and uncle's name in a textbook or in the news he skimmed over it. He knew that Kurach aided his niece in the kidnapping of their daughter. For that act he would never forgive the man whom he used to have so much admiration and respect for.

"Kurach is mad, my Lord," explained Wormtail, shifting uncomfortably in the place where he was standing. "Old age and sickness has taken his mind from him."

That bit of information, though it was tragic for a man with as brilliant a mind as Kurach to lose it, caused Severus to brighten up a bit. Severus was a not cold-hearted as many believed… he simply believed Kurach was getting what he deserved.

"Whatever the reason… Kurach will not be providing us with potions. You will do that, Severus. You will take over the role that your old mentor filled."

"Yes, my Lord."

Lord Voldemort signaled to Severus to rise from the floor. To falter in front of the Dark Lord meant a certain punishment, usually the Cruciatus. Severus' legs had gone numb from crouching on the floor for so long, but he did not waver in the least as he rose to his full height. Sharp pains were shooting through his legs, but he stood tall and still.

"I worry about your loyalty however," the Dark Lord continued, his voice much raspier than before. "Since my fall at the hands of that blasted infant I have questioned all of my followers' loyalty. Maybe watching your daughter squirm under the power of the Cruciatus will ensure your complete loyalty."

"My Lord, Severus' daughter died many years ago in an explosion," announced Lucius Malfoy who had been silent up until that point. "I am afraid that ensuring his loyalty through his daughter's welfare is no longer possible."

"Oh…" the Dark Lord thought for a moment. He raised his wand. "Well then let us hope your feelings of self-preservation are as strong as your parental instincts to protect your child."

* * *

Two hours later Severus managed to stumble into the Hogwarts castle. His body was weak from repeated exposure to the Cruciatus curse. Voldemort certainly had a way with keeping his followers in line.

"What am I doing?" Severus whispered to himself as he struggled to walk down the stairs to his dungeon chambers.

His legs threatened to buckle under the weight of his body. Years had passed since he was inflicted with such a curse. It was a sensation difficult to get used to. Thoughts ran through his head. Questions he did not dare ask aloud. _What am I doing? Why?_ They were the exact same questions he asked himself the night he murdered the sleeping baby girl. What was he doing? How had he gotten himself involved in Voldemort's madness again? He thought that when he was stopped by the infant Harry Potter and disappeared that Voldemort was not going to be a problem again. Severus was extremely worried the year it looked like the Dark Lord had found a way to return to his body. Bringing the damned Philosopher's Stone into the castle was the worst idea Dumbledore had had in a long time. Hearing Ginny Weasley's account of what happened when she was given the diary of Tom Riddle brought home the fact that Voldemort almost returned again. An unexplainable amount of terror clutched at his throat when while camping out after the Quidditch World Cup final with his younger brother Sidonius and sister-in-law Veda, he saw the Dark Mark high in the night sky. Now that Voldemort was truly back… now that he had a corporeal form and was reassembling his army… now he wondered if he would ever be truly free from the terror that Voldemort worked so hard to instill in all of those naïve or imprudent enough to choose to support him.

"Sir?" A voice behind the professor called. "Are you all right?"

Before Severus has a chance to realize that Gregory Goyle was the one who was speaking to him, he collapsed in a heap on the cold, stone dungeon floor. His body, unused to the ravages that the Cruciatus curse makes, fell under the strain. Embarrassed that he had fallen in front of his student, but unable to move himself off of the floor, Severus said nothing to the young man.

"I have seen my father like this," Gregory said as he gently helped the weakened professor to his feet. "When he… when he returned late at night."

Naturally Severus knew to what the boy was referring to. No doubt Gary Goyle often found himself stumbling home in the darkness, his body unable to hold itself up. Gary was often subjected to the Cruciatus curse in his line of vocation. What line of work that was exactly, Severus was unsure. He only knew that Gary worked in top secret with Lucius Malfoy, a man only too willing to apply an Unforgivable to anyone he felt deserved it. Though Gary could break Lucius' neck in a heartbeat before he was even able to pull his wand out of fancy, custom-made robes, Gary was afraid to upset him.

"Thank you, Mr. Goyle," Severus said in a whisper, his vocal cords still in quite a bit of pain from his evening exertions.

Severus was able to make it to his private chambers without any more trouble. He knew that Gregory was watching him to be certain he arrived. Perhaps it was knowing the young man was watching that gave the professor the strength he needed to make it to his rooms. When he heard the click of the door shutting Severus collapsed onto one of the old, tattered sofas he always meant to repair. Because of the strong memories he had of the home he once shared with his young daughter he made it a point to spend as little time there as he could. When he was not wandering the hallways in the middle of the night intent on catching rule breakers or preparing lessons for his classes in his office and classroom, Severus spent a lot of time in the staff room. He enjoyed reading by the staff room fire for hours on end or participating in friendly debates and discussions with his fellow professors. His suite of rooms was showing its age. His furniture ragged, his carpet threadbare. The only things pristine in the entire place were his books.

Closing his eyes to keep from looking at the sterile room he hated, Severus found himself quickly falling into a restless sleep with terrifying nightmares. Often he dreamed visions he wished to remove from his memory. One that plagued him as a youth continued to plague him as he grew older. Naturally he dreamed Anza's kidnapping and death, Speranza's murder, the murder of the baby girl at his hands… over and over again. Each time he tried to change the outcome… think of some new action he could perform to change the past, but never did it work. He relived his worst memories when he went to sleep. Was it any wonder he preferred skulking in the shadows of the darkened night corridors to the quiet of his chambers?

He woke the next morning to the sound of the school's own healer tsking about something under her breath. Severus opened his eyes slowly. Poppy Pomfrey was leaning over him, checking his vital stats with her wand. She seemed displeased with her findings.

"Just as I expected," she said when she saw he was awake. "You have been overexerting yourself _again_, Severus."

He tried to sit up on the sofa, but felt a strong, but gentle hand push him back down.

"You are not sleeping enough," Poppy continued. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Since the day he returned after witnessing his daughter's death, Poppy had been like a protective mother hen to the young potions master. She worried about him, made him take potions when she felt he looked too peaky. He found her attention welcome, if not a bit on the annoying side. Never having known the love and care of a mother, Poppy was as close to a mother as he had if he did not consider Speranza. But even Speranza was not nearly as fussy and resolute as Poppy Pomfrey. Severus knew that her feelings toward him were genuine. She felt responsible for the act that took his daughter from him. Hearing the news of Anza's death almost took care of the healer as well. She suffered such severe depression for months that Albus Dumbledore had to call in an assistant for her fresh from St. Mungo's training institute. Eight months of watching the healer-in-training mix up the proper healing spells, incantations and potions, Poppy was ready to return fulltime to her position. The students of Hogwarts were her responsibility. She did not take that lightly. Because there was still a bit of guilt in her conscience, Poppy did all that she could to take care of the professor who had not learned to take care of himself.

"Of course I am not trying to kill myself," he snapped sardonically.

"Could have fooled me," she replied firmly. "Go into your room, change into some nightclothes and take this potion."

She thrust a tiny vial of greenish liquid into his still shaking hands. The effects of the applied Cruciatus curse the night before had not worn off the young wizard.

"There is enough going on in this madhouse of a school without me having to worry that you are going to work yourself into an early grave," Poppy scolded him with an iron tongue. She was the only person that could make him feel like a child when she wished.

There was nothing Severus could do but to follow Madam Pomfrey's orders. She was not a witch to reckon with. He gingerly pulled himself up from the sofa. Halfway to the door of his bedroom, he staggered and would have fallen if he did not catch hold of the end of a table. A strong pair of hands caught him and brought him back up to a standing position. Severus was surprised to find Gregory Goyle standing in his suite of private rooms.

"It is a good thing that Mr. Goyle here informed me this morning about what he saw last night," explained Poppy. "You are worse off than he said. It is a wonder you can walk at all. What have you been doing, Severus?"

He obviously could not tell her the real reason for his weakened state. The Dark Lord has applied the curse much longer than he had ever applied it to Severus before. Trying to assert his loyalty or at least to terrify the wizard into following his orders, Voldemort had shown little mercy on Severus' state. For five of the most brutal, agonizing minutes Severus twitched under the curse, feeling his mind slipping, fearing that he was never going to experience anything but pain for the rest of eternity. It had been a deeply disturbing time. When the Dark Lord was satisfied with the amount of pain inflicted on him, Severus had had to lie in a crumpled heap for at least an hour before he was ready to stand. He had only been able to walk to the grounds of Malfoy Manor and apparate to the gates of Hogwarts out of sheer, clenched-teeth determination. Entering the castle and practically falling down the dungeon stairs had taken most of his strength from him. No, he could not explain the real reason for his state to the healer.

"I have been trying to kill myself with over work," he answered sarcastically.

The witch shook her head and glared at him.

"Just as I expected… you have not been taking your health seriously. This potion will force you to sleep, to let your body heal."

"I need to be awake and of service to the Headmaster," Severus said. "Especially now, especially with everything that has happened."

"The last thing Albus needs right now is to have one of his staff members keel over dead. If I have to make Mr. Goyle hold you down while I pour that potion down your throat, then I will. You are going to get the rest that you need."

* * *

Severus woke three days later from a heavily drugged sleep. He hated sleeping. He especially hated when he had to sleep for so long. The potion that Poppy had forced him to imbibe was just a step weaker than the "Draught of the Living Death". Though, he realized as he swung his tired legs over the side of his bed, he did feel a hell of a lot better. The potion had done its trick. No longer were the after effects of the Cruciatus curse moving through his body.

He was able to dress himself and return to the Great Hall in time for the Leaving Feast. The room was decorated in black, remembering the death of young Cedric Diggory. Quietly he sat next to Minerva McGonagall listening to Dumbledore's words about Voldemort's return. The shocked faces on each of the students… the whispers amongst them… the tears that many had streaming down their faces made for an emotional and low-key feast. He was thankful when it was all over.

He was especially thankful when he watched the students leave the castle the next day. A long break from the scholars was exactly what he needed, especially if the fight against Voldemort was about to begin anew. He was sitting in his private potions laboratory when a letter borne by a house elf was delivered. The letter was sealed with a highly advance charm that only but a few knew how to open. This was a tool that the Death Eaters used to communicate with each other. If someone tried to open a letter without the proper incantation… well, they were subjected to terrible side effects. Tapping the letter with his wand and saying the word required, Severus carefully opened the parchment.

_Required immediately – Ten liters of Woolsey's poison, thirty liters of Wiggenweld, five liters of Ultra-Magical Draining Draught and two liters of Veritaserum. Please leave in abandoned cabin outside of Hogsmeade on Alberic Lane._

_Lucius Malfoy_

And so it began. Severus was already employed to make the potions for the Death Eater Army. Those four were only the most heavily used of the potions. No doubt in time he would be required to brew strengthening, shrinking, and all manner of other potions. The Dark Lord was a demanding boss. And Lucius Malfoy was as demanding a second-in-command as there ever had been… or perhaps ever would be. Quietly Severus began to brew the mixtures as required by his new position.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

_A/N: Thanks to MysticSong1978 for catching my dumb mistake in the last chapter. WAY too many late nights, I'm afraid.:) Yes, the potion Severus took was not made out of zombies._

Chapter Fifteen

An intensely quiet month passed before Severus realized it. Though the Dark Lord was back and in full health, he was not ready for his presence to be known throughout the wizarding world just yet. If it had not been for the maddening burning of the mark on his arm several times a week, Severus might have even been able to convince himself that nothing was out of the ordinary, that this summer would pass just like the summer holiday before. He enjoyed spending his hours bent over a cauldron, that was nothing new. Every day it seemed that he had more orders for more and more potions. The Dark Lord's army was obviously stocking up for a long and bloody war.

"Still brewing, Severus?" He heard the familiar voice of the Headmaster interrupt his private sanctuary beneath the ground.

"Yes, Headmaster," Severus did not even look up to meet the eyes of his mentor. "Every day I have more orders."

"Anything out of the ordinary?"

"Not yet," he answered, his focus still on the bubbling cauldron of Invigoration Draught. "Mostly standard potions… Wiggenweld, Veritaserum, Blood-replenishers, wound-cleaners, several poisons and antidotes. Standard potions, I am afraid."

"At least we can take that to mean that Voldemort has yet to think of something to do that we are unprepared for… or at least not expecting."

Severus had been spying for the newly reformed Order of the Phoenix since the night of the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. In all of that time he had received very little information useful to the cause of the resistance. Voldemort was obviously attempting to keep a low profile. He was not ready for the world to know of his return. That information was what unsettled Albus Dumbledore the most. Why was he unwilling to make his presence known? Tom Riddle had always been quick to take credit for every good thing he ever did while in school. He thrived on attention, on the admiration of others. As the Dark Lord, Riddle continued to thrive on the emotions and feelings of others… though they were more sinister in nature than during his boyhood days. Knowing that Voldemort was hiding, and doing a damn good job of it too was frustrating for the headmaster. He was unused to this side of the wizard he once taught Transfiguration.

"It has been too quiet lately, Severus," Albus finally said after a few minutes thinking.

"I understand what you mean, Headmaster." This time Severus looked up from his potion at the wizard in front of him. "It worries me."

"It does me, as well."

They stood in silence for a few moments more… the only noise the whistling of the cauldron and the bubbling of the mixture within.

"I will leave you to your work then," Albus said before he reluctantly left the younger man alone.

There was more on Albus Dumbledore's mind than he told Severus. The potions professor knew that. Albus rarely came by simply to chat, though there were times when he wished to speak of matters Severus had no desire or interest in. The elder man was showing his age that evening, Severus thought. Lines that he had not noticed were apparent on his face. His eyes were weary, his entire body looked as if it was hardly able to support itself. The head of the Order of the Phoenix and the Headmaster of Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry certainly had a lot on his plate to deal with. Content with the fact that he would never know all of that man's secrets, Severus simply resumed work on the many fizzy and effervescent mixtures in the half a dozen or so cauldrons.

It was that night, possibly in those few moments that the Headmaster and his potions master spoke, that all hell broke out for Harry Potter. Hundreds of miles away in Little Whinging dementors, the nasty and terrifying Azkaban prison guards, attacked the young wizard and his Muggle cousin. Using his ability to conjure a corporeal Patronus, Potter only just managed to survive and save his cousin as well. Dumbledore immediately rushed off to the Ministry to smooth the situation out. Potter, faced with expulsion, was to be kicked out of his uncle's house as well. Immediately the Headmaster saw to it that Harry stay in the house, reminding his aunt Petunia what was required of her. For a few glorious minutes, to Severus at least, it looked like Harry Potter would not be returning to the halls of the castle in the next term. But then again, despite the attack on Dumbledore's character over the summer by the _Daily Prophet_, his influence in the ministry was still great. Potter was given a hearing date, disappointing Severus immensely.

The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix worked itself into a tizzy after that incident. Not only was the boy attacked by Dementors in a Muggle neighborhood, but also no one seemed to believe him. The Ministry thought it was yet another of Harry Potter's dramatic stories to garner him even more attention than that blasted scar already did. No mention was made of the dementor attack. That fact scared the Order. It already appeared that the dementors had gone over to the wrong side, to the side of Lord Voldemort.

Several days after the dementor incident Severus found himself standing on the front step of number 12 Grimmauld Place in London. If there was ever a place he hated to be, it was this house. Any place where he knew for certain he was liable to run into Sirius Black was a place to be avoided. And now with the Weasley family running amok through the halls and that blasted Gryffindor Miss Know-it-All… well, it certainly was not where he wished to spend his evening. But… he had a report to make. He always made a report once a week whether there was something to report or not. This week the entire Order was still focused on how dementors got out of Azkaban and ended up in Harry Potter's town.

"Ahh, Severus, glad you could join us," greeted Molly Weasley the moment he entered through the front door. "We are all about to start the meeting. First, I have to make sure Harry is settled."

"Harry?" His face turned into a scowl at the mention of that name. "Is Potter here?"

"The Advance Guard just arrived with him a short while ago."

And another reason to add the ever expanding list of reasons why Severus had no desire to cross the threshold of the decrepit manor. Harry Potter was now among the register of guests. _Perfect._ He rushed into the meeting place of Order, reminded strongly again of the times he met years earlier with the first Order. How strange it all felt now that his life was so different. Taking a seat as far from Sirius Black as possible, Severus readied himself for the meeting.

Unfortunately there was nothing new to discuss. Harry's predicament with the dementors and the ministry of Magic was the topic most discussed. Because Voldemort had not brought himself out in the open yet, there was little to talk about. There were few incidents that could be concretely attributed to him or his followers. The entire situation was frustrating for every member of the Order.

"And now Severus, what do you have for us this evening?" Dumbledore asked when everyone had discussed possible theories about the dementors and when and where Voldemort would make his presence known.

"Certainly," Severus said before standing up to address the group. In the corner of his eye he saw the sullen face of Sirius Black. If anything, that only spurred him on. "I was able to speak with many members of the other side this week. We discussed the Potter case in depth."

"Was You-Know-Who responsible for it?" asked the young and eager Nymphadora Tonks.

"No… it appears not."

Murmurs of shock spread throughout the group. Severus stood there silently until all were paying attention to him once more.

"The Death Eaters are as shocked about the situation as we are. No one knows who sent the dementors after Potter, though we all agree that they were sent. The Ministry still claims to have complete control over the Azkaban guards. Nothing I have heard…"

"Probably does not even hear anything important anyway," Sirius muttered.

"I can assure you, Black, that I am often in the very midst of top-secret meetings. Even the Dark Lord himself does not know who sent the dementors on Harry. He was pleased, do not get me wrong, to hear about the attack, but as far as who sent them… no one is sure. But this is not news."

He moved to stand at the head of the large meeting table. Pulling parchment from his robes he spread them down on the table. Bill Weasley helped flatten them out for the rest of the members to see. Quietly they all passed them down the line.

"There is a new development, however," Severus announced after a short time of watching the assembled witches and wizards look at the parchments. "This story is not one I am very good at telling, as I only have a few facts, but I am sure that Albus has already told it once before. Right before the Potters were murdered by the Dark Lord there was a prophecy told about a child born in the seventh month. While it was being said, a member of the Death Eaters overheard. He rushed to see the Dark Lord to tell…"

"Yeah, yeah, we have already been told this," interjected Sirius with an annoyed look on his face. "Dumbledore told us this weeks ago. This is not news."

"Then I shall continue," Severus replied, not allowing the dreadful Black creature to ruin his report. "According to Daniel Avery…"

"An old school chum of his," garbled Sirius.

"There is a copy of that prophecy, as well as every prophecy ever made about anyone within the borders of Britain, within the Department of Mysteries."

The room began to buzz with this information. Very few people knew anything about what was in the Department of Mysteries.

"The Dark Lord is trying to figure out a way to get within the Department to retrieve the prophecy for himself. "

"Are we to believe that He Who Must Not Be Named is going to simply walk into the Ministry of Magic with all of its wards and personnel to simply retrieve an old prophecy?" asked a skeptical Emmeline Vance.

"No, I do not believe we have to worry about the Dark Lord walking into the Ministry," answered Severus. "Right now his number one priority is to keep the world from knowing that he is back… that he has a body now and is ready to finish the work that he began. That is what is most important to him."

"So he would be sending someone else to get the prophecy," said Minerva McGonagall.

"Presumably, but as far as who or when, I do not know the answer to those questions."

The room grew silent for a moment as they all took the information in.

"Do you suppose that there will be a full-scale attack on the Ministry?" Arthur Weasley asked, obviously a little uneasy at the thought that his place of employment could very well become a battleground.

"No, I do not believe that would happen," he answered. "At least not for awhile now. The Dark Lord is not dumb… if he wished to attack the Ministry he would wait awhile to prepare his forces, to get his supporters ready. Going into a battle unprepared is perhaps the dimmest thing he could do."

There were murmurs of assent all over the room. Naturally Severus was speaking the truth.

"What can we do about this, Albus?" asked Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Hmm…" the Headmaster sat quietly thinking for a moment.

"We have to know everyone who goes in or out of the Department," chimed in Mad Eye Moody. "We should have a guard sitting outside at all times, twenty-four hours a day."

"What a silly idea."

"That would never work."

There were comments along those lines from just about every person sitting at the table. A guard on duty sounded preposterous to them.

"No, Alastor has a very good idea," Dumbledore finally added in. "Someone should be posted outside of the department at all times."

"But won't that look suspicious, Albus?" Molly Weasley asked, horrified at the thought.

"I have a couple of invisibility cloaks we can use," offered Alastor Moody.

"The guards would have to be members of the Order who already work there in the building," continued Dumbledore. "Otherwise Molly is right, it would be entirely too suspicious."

"Or those who might have a good reason to be in the Ministry," Molly added herself. "If you feel this is a good idea, Albus, I will go along with it. I can act as if I am coming to see Arthur."

The rest of the meeting was spent meting out the plans for guard duty outside the door to the Department of Mysteries. They each in turn discussed the best ways to guarantee the safety of the guard as well as making certain that they remained secret to all persons within the Ministry walls. Severus rarely found himself so thankful to go back to the Hogwarts castle as he did that night. He never stayed for dinner. One quick insult to Sirius Black concerning all he was doing for the Order by keeping the house clean was enough interaction for his tastes. And knowing that Harry Potter was currently within the walls… _no, thank you._ He would rather eat alone.

* * *

That school year was passing by in a whirl of events for Severus. Never before had he experienced a year quite as busy or frustrating. Between spying for both the Order and the 'spying' he did for Voldemort (which mostly involved him passing on information that was either completely untrue or hardly true at all), he had to deal with the likes of Dolores Umbridge. He found himself more and more within in his own chambers reading in front of his own fire. The staff room had been invaded by the squat, amphibious-like witch. She tried to add her own touches to the room as she saw fit, her position higher than the 'regular' professors like Severus. One too many doilies and several too many '_hem, hem's _made him more than willing to face the bad memories within the walls of his chamber. The staff room, which had been a sanctuary for him for several years, now seemed to belong entirely to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who by all accounts, was an awful lecturer. Her lessons taught no actual defense against the Dark Arts, only theories. How were the students to learn to protect themselves in a world like theirs was fast becoming? No doubt the Ministry's fear of Dumbledore creating an army of underage witches and wizards within the confines of the school prevented her from actually being a valuable professor with a useful curriculum.

"No Dolores, eh?" Professor Sophia Vector asked. She stuck her head into the staff room, and saw only Severus sitting in the room alone.

"Not at the moment, no," he answered, not taking his eyes from his book. "But give her time and she will be in here soon."

"I was afraid of that."

Sophia Vector was one of the staff that Albus reverently referred to as 'the younger members'. She was ten years older than Severus, but as most of the other staff were considerably older than she, Sophia was younger. She and Severus were the only two members of this so-called younger staff. As such the two had a lot of the same reactions to the staff meetings. They were friendly with each other, but one could hardly call them friends. Though that fact was difficult to imagine when they were seated around the large conference table in the staff room making faces at each other. Often they disagreed with the older members of staff. They tried to keep their faces private between the two, but more often than not they were seen.

"Everywhere I go, she somehow manages to end up there as well," Sophia complained as she threw a stack of parchment on a writing desk near the fireplace.

"Unfortunately we have all had that same feeling," Severus replied, briefly looking up to see the wearied, exasperated look on the witch's face. Sophia, a Ravenclaw, had been one of Speranza's closest friends while she studied at Hogwarts. This fact coupled with their relatively young ages, should have made the two professors friends, but they were not. "She had the audacity to invade my private workroom to search for illegal potion ingredients."

"She called my lesson plans rubbish," hissed Sophia. "She threatened to put me on probation if I did not change them. Who does she think she is? Hogwarts High Inquisitor, my arse, she knows nothing about Arithmancy."

The door to the staff room opened vociferously. Both of the young staff members turned in their chairs to see who had entered. To their mutual relief it was only Minerva McGonagall.

"I see by the look of terror on both of your faces that you expected someone else," Minerva said quietly, shutting the door carefully behind her. She moved to the same writing desk as Sophia with the grace she no doubt employed in her animagus form. "Sorry to disappoint… I know how much you wished I were Dolores."

"Right," said Sophia, rolling her eyes.

These talks were one of the few reasons that Severus ever made an appearance in the staff room. To find it void of Dolores was unusual, but welcome. In her absence every member of the staff with the exception of Argus Filch, Professor Binns, and naturally Albus Dumbledore, spoke disparagingly against the newest 'professor' appointed by the Minister of Magic. None of them seemed to believe she was qualified or capable of running a classroom. They resented her involvement and interference in the running of Hogwarts.

"At last some peace from that busybody woman," Minerva said, sitting herself down in a chair next to Sophia. "If I have to hear her voice once more today… I will not be responsible for my actions."

_Hem, hem._

"Damn it," Minerva muttered under her breath, loud enough only for Severus and Sophia to hear. Dolores Umbridge seemed oblivious to the remark. "Hello there, Dolores. Please come join us."

The invitation was not genuine; all but the dimmest person would have realized that. Not that genuine invitations mattered to the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. She felt entitled to sit anywhere she wished. At that moment she very much wished to sit next to Severus, a fact that caused him to wonder why he even bothered to come up from the dungeons. Everything was much quieter and pleasant down there.

"How are you this evening, Severus?" Dolores asked in what was certainly not an authentic manner. She obviously wanted something from the potions professor.

"Is there something I can help you with, Dolores?" He asked, not even bothering to look up from the tome of potions he was reading. The volume was terribly interesting, discussing new ways that bezoars had been used to create even more powerful antidotes. He would much rather read it then hear her voice, but knowing she would not leave him alone until she was satisfied, he sacrificed his nerves.

"You are one of the best potions brewers in Britain, right?" She asked though everyone in the room already knew the answer to that was yes.

"Again I ask, is there something I can help you with, Dolores?" His black eyes, filled to the brim with annoyance flickered up to look at her sickly sweet smile. His lips curled into a sneer at that sight before he could stop himself.

"Well, yes, now that you mention it there is something I would like you to do for me."

There were audible murmurs of dissent from Minerva and Sophia coupled with incredulous looks on both of the witches' faces. They went unnoticed by Dolores Umbridge.

"I require some Veritaserum for official Ministry business," she went on to explain. "Lucius Malfoy always speaks so highly of you. He told me it would be no trouble at all for you to brew such a difficult potion."

If there was one person who knew how well Severus could brew Veritaserum it certainly was Lucius Malfoy. Every week there were even more orders for the potion. Every week he brewed more potions. Every week he sent Linny, the house elf he brought with him to Hogwarts years earlier as a nurse maid for Anza, to the abandoned cottage on Alberic Lane to deliver the order. Linny was elderly, but still had a few years left in her life to be sure. She had grown fond of life in Hogwarts. The younger elves treated her with a great deal of respect. They fawned over her, cooked for her, did all of her laundry. She was happy in the castle and had not wished to leave even when Severus offered her the opportunity to return to Snape Manor. Though living in Hogwarts, she was still bond to Severus and had to follow his orders. It was much easier on the potions professor to have her deliver the potions than for him to take the time to do it on his own.

"I am familiar with the process of brewing the potion," he answered.

"Excellent!" She beamed at the younger man next to her. "I will ask that you brew me a batch before the next term begins in January."

"Certainly," he replied, returning his gaze to the potions book.

Satisfied that she had received the answer she desired, Dolores left the staff room without so much as a nod in the direction of the other professors seated in it. Severus turned his full attention to his book. An hour later, after successfully making it through dozens of fascinating, at least to him, pages of information relating to bezoars, he was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder.

"Severus, a letter just arrived for you," Minerva informed him, handing him a rolled up sheet of parchment.

"Thank you."

He took it from her carefully. It was not from Lucius or from any other Death Eater. There was always a certain feel to one of those letters. _Who could it be from? _He wondered. Wasting little time for guessing games he torn it open.

_Dear Severus,_

_Already a year and a half has passed since our last visit. It was a shame that the events following the Quidditch World Final had to put a damper on our holiday. Life tucked away in the Hogwarts Castle must be busy for you, I rarely hear from you…_

Reading his younger brother's tight script instantly made Severus feel guilty. He had indeed been awful about corresponding. Interested in knowing the reason for Sidonius' letter, as he rarely, just like his brother, wrote without a cause or a purpose.

_…but I suppose the fault could also be mine. I am not as diligent at writing as I should be. Veda constantly pushes me to write, but I find myself busy… or to be honest, not entirely certain how to word a letter to you. Though I admire you, Severus, more than anyone else I have ever met, I find speaking with you to be a difficult matter… especially after… well, I suppose speaking with me is not easy for you either._

_There is a reason to my letter, as I am sure you have already gathered. I am pleased to announce to you that I have recently become a father to the most beautiful, or I guess I should say handsome, son. Veda felt it appropriate that we name him Severus Dermot Snape. He will be called Dermot to keep him from getting confused with his uncle. We are so proud to have him in our lives. He was born a little over a week ago on December ninth._

_I realize that you usually prefer to spend your winter holidays in the quiet of the castle without any students, but I wish to extend an invitation to you. Veda and I would love to have you join us for Christmas dinner. You may come earlier than Christmas if you wish or you may choose to come only for dinner. We only wish to have you join us, to celebrate both the season and the expansion of the now dwindled Snape clan. Please owl me back as soon as you can, so Veda and I can know whether to expect you or not._

_Often my thoughts are of you, big brother, though I am not able to express them well. Your welfare is important to me… often I worry. Please join us this holiday. Veda sends her best._

_Your brother, Sidonius_

Severus let out a long sigh as he folded up the letter.

"It is not bad new, is it Severus?" Minerva asked when he was finished stowing the letter safely within the inside pocket of his robe.

"No," he replied. "Rather good news actually. My brother Sidonius and his wife Veda have recently had a son."

"Well, that is good news," agreed Sophia. "Children are a blessing."

Despite his better wishes, Severus found himself remembering a time sitting in Albus' office when he heard those words before. He was just about to agree to spy for the Order. It felt a lifetime ago.

"Yes, they certainly are," he replied, standing up from his seat. "If you will excuse me."

Suddenly he found himself wanting to be left very much alone.

* * *

On Christmas morning Severus found himself walking reluctantly up the three flights of stairs to Sidonius' London flat. He had only been there on one occasion before… when they were preparing to leave for the Quidditch World Cup Final. Sidonius worked in the same department as Ludo Bagman, the Department of Magical Games and Sports. He worked in the Ludicrous Patents Office, doing goodness knows what. When the Quidditch Final came to Britain, Sid was able to secure three tickets, compliments of Ludo Bagman himself. That had been an enjoyable trip, even for Severus. Though he ran into several of his students, many of whom did not know how to react to seeing their formidable potions professor outside of the castle, he found the cacophony and chaos a pleasant diversion. But the night the Dark Mark showed above the trees… he had rarely been that terrified or that anxious, especially when he realized that Veda, as lovely and talented as she was, could possibly be a target for the Death Eaters' midnight revels.

Severus stood uneasily in front of the front door with the peeling brown paint and the rusted number seven. He missed his brother to be sure, but visits were often awkward. Since that day… since that damned day when Marina ruined everything… since then the two brothers often tiptoed around the other, each feeling responsible for the events that they never spoke of. Severus was hesitant to knock on the door. He loved his brother; of that there was no doubt. And despite the fact that he used to torture her for being an insufferable Know-it-All Gryffindor, Severus had truly embraced Veda and come to love her as a sister. Though these were the two people alive in the world he knew loved him… well, he was still unsure of what kind of welcome he would receive. A great amount of time had passed. Sidonius and Veda had a son. With Dermot there were not a complete family. Would there be any room for him? Before he had a chance to think these thoughts any further, the door before him opened wide.

"Severus," greeted a rosy cheeked Veda. Pregnancy and the birth of her son had agreed with her. She no longer looked too pale or too thin, "I thought I heard someone out here."

"Happy Christmas, Veda," he replied, giving his sister-in-law a stiff, formal kiss on the cheek.

"I should have known you would be perfectly on time," she continued. "Not a moment too late and not a moment too soon."

"Punctuality is a courtesy often neglected these days."

"Please," she took his arm. "Come on in."

He was led into the tiny front room of the flat. There was not a lot of money to be made in the Ludicrous Patents office, hardly even the same amount made in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office. Veda was a brilliant witch, but she was paid very little for her work at the _Transfiguration Today_ office. The flat was clean, but sparsely decorated. Furniture that had seen its best years and years before filled much of the space. There were a few pictures lining the walls of the young couple when they were young. A large, framed wedding portrait of the two of them waving and smiling took center stage in the most prominent wall. There were also several pictures of Veda's families, the Muggle pictures always fascinating Severus. He was also pleasantly surprised to find a picture of himself holding a giggling, two year old Anza. It had been taken on her last Christmas alive. Fourteen years had passed since then… strange how time goes so quickly when you are not even aware.

"Sidonius is just in the other room with Dermot," Veda explained, taking Severus' cloak from him. "They should be out in a minute. I have to put a few last minute touches on the turkey, if you will excuse me."

The kitchen and dining room were only a few feet away from where Severus was standing in the den. He felt guilty looking around their home. Even his quarters in the Hogwarts dungeons were larger than the space the three of them shared. He felt guilty because there was a large, empty manor with half a dozen house elves in his possession. His brother's family lived in a tiny flat while he had a huge mansion at his disposal that he never took advantage of.

"Severus."

The potions professor looked up to see his younger brother, though very much a man, enter the room. In his arms he carried a tiny baby boy dressed up in a Father Christmas suit. The smile that crossed Sidonius' face was unmistakable. He was genuinely happy to see his elder brother in his home.

"Come meet your nephew," Sidonius said, beckoning Severus to him.

Severus Dermot Snape looked nothing like a Snape. He did not even look like a Benoit. No doubt he resembled Veda's Horton family, a fact that Severus was sure pleased the father greatly. Once he had been removed from the Snape family, Sidonius found himself welcome into the Horton clan. He much admired them, the only Muggles he had ever known personally.

"Would you like to hold him?" Sidonius asked his brother.

"I, uhh…" He had not held a baby since his Anza. It was an experience he did not intend to ever practice again. Though with one look at the young boy, he could not help himself, but take the child.

"How have you been, Severus?" The younger wizard asked expectantly.

"Fine, thank you," he replied formally.

"How is Hogwarts?"

"Absolutely dreadful."

Sidonius laughed at his brother's comment.

"Dolores Umbridge?" He asked, raising a single eyebrow reminiscent of a look his elder brother often used in his potions lessons.

"Unfortunately, yes," Severus replied, a smirk forming on both of their faces.

"I must say I do not envy you," Sidonius said as he took a seat in one of the two armchairs closest to the dining table. Severus followed suit, carefully lowering himself and Dermot into the one across from his brother.

"You are familiar with her then I suppose?"

"Unfortunately yes. Though I will admit that I am glad that she is in Hogwarts and no longer in the Ministry. She always causes so many problems."

"She tried to pass legislation early last summer making the requirements for registering as an Animagus more difficult," added Veda, who was listening in from the 'kitchen' and who always had a rough word in regards to Dolores Umbridge. "My senior editor tried to publish an article against her, but the Ministry naturally forced him to pull it. Of course there is no such thing a free press in wizarding Britain."

"She is positively dreadful to the students," Severus explained. "Not teaching them a single thing about Defense Against the Dark Arts and her punishments… though, perhaps some are warranted, many are downright ruthless."

Bashing Dolores Umbridge, her policies, her beliefs on half-breeds and the way she managed her classroom broke the ice between the three relatives. Soon they were engaged in a lively discussion, first about Umbridge, but then about Fudge. Careful to stay away from any topic that would make it known that Severus knew the Dark Lord had risen again, despite what the newspapers said, they had a free-flowing debate and discussion all throughout the long, delicious Christmas dinner Veda prepared. Severus often held on to his young nephew, the void left by the death of his daughter so many years earlier finding itself lessened and not as clearly noticeable.

They continued speaking until late into the evening. Veda had to excuse herself at one point to put little Dermot to sleep, leaving the two brothers alone for the first time. They were uncomfortable without her reassuring presence. Neither of them quite knew what to say to the other. As it often was when they were children, Sidonius broke the silence.

"So how have you been, Severus?" He asked, a look of genuine concern etched all over his features. "I mean, really…"

"I work too much," he admitted.

"I thought as much," Sidonius replied, with a warm smile, instantly putting the elder at ease.

"I should not have let so much time go by without seeing you."

"It was our… no, in all honesty, it was my fault as well. Veda encouraged me over and over to write you and to invite you to visit."

The silence between the two brothers returned.

"Perhaps…" Severus began. "Perhaps you feel that I blame you for what happened all those years ago."

Sidonius turned to look at the floor, but even that action did not hide the tears that had formed in his eyes from Severus' view.

"I should have been stronger," he said, quietly. "I should have fought the Imperius curse."

"You were not at fault, Sidonius," Severus reassured him. "Some of the greatest wizards and witches of all time have been unable to fight the power of that damned curse… no matter how hard they wished."

"I should have tried harder."

"No… I should have stood up to Father and never allowed that toxin to enter our family. If I had only been stronger, Marina would have never been a part of my life."

"But neither would Anza."

The weight of Sidonius' words hit his brother strongly. Naturally he was right. Though Anza was only in his life for a very short time, they had been happy years… a time in Severus' life when he felt hopeful for the future. Such dreams he had for his daughter… and for their future.

"I have never told you this, Sidonius," he said after a minute or two of silence. "But I admire you greatly."

"What?" The words shocked the younger brother who was so often used to admiring his elder brother. "You admire… _me_?"

"You married the woman you love despite the fact that Father promptly disowned you… you were not afraid to stand up to him. You showed courageousness that I never did."

"The choice was not a hard one for me to make… a life with Veda or a life without Veda. Though I lost the privilege that comes with being a Snape because of my marriage, I do not regret it. I have never been happier, and I cannot imagine being happy without that wonderful woman in my life."

There were quiet again. The only noise in the entire flat Dermot's hungry cries from the next room quickly followed by Veda's loving, motherly voice.

"Though he is still quite young and has not been in my life long," Sidonius finally said. "I cannot imagine losing Dermot. How you have managed to… to exist, to survive without Anza I will never know… or at least I pray to never have to find out for myself. Your strength is what I admire, Severus."

Nothing much else had to be spoken between the two brothers. It felt to both of them as if an invisible wall constructed on the day that Anza was kidnapped from Hogwarts' Great Hall came crumbling down.

* * *

"I did as you asked, Headmaster," Severus announced, throwing himself down into an armchair in the circular office.

"Yes?"

"I went to the Headquarters to speak with Harry Potter," his voice was laced with ice. He hated that home and he hated having to go there to speak with that boy about anything. "We will begin Occlumency lessons next week."

"Excellent."

Severus had just returned from number 12 Grimmauld Place. It was close to midnight, his body near exhaustion. The Headmaster had required an immediate conference with the professor the moment he returned to the castle. Now that he was in the office, Severus felt frustrated that the Headmaster did not even lower his newspaper to speak to him.

"What is it that you find so interesting, Headmaster?" He asked sardonically, eyeing the newspaper with interest.

"Something you might find of notice actually, Severus."

Albus Dumbledore tossed the evening edition of the _Daily Prophet_ to the younger wizard.

_World Class Potions Master Dies at the Age of One Hundred and Nine_

_The Potions field has now begun to mourn one of the greatest minds of this century. On Friday morning Miloslav Pavlovich Kurach, the famed potions master from Russia, passed away in his family home on the Volga River…_

Severus did not need to read anymore. He threw the paper back at Dumbledore with little to no reverence.

"Good riddance," was all he said to the news that his former potions mentor and uncle of sorts was dead. "I hope he burns for eternity in Hell."

Naturally, though he would not admit it himself, Albus Dumbledore felt inclined to agree with Severus. Though he had never actually met Miloslav Kurach, simply knowing that he was responsible in any way for Anza Snape's kidnapping and ensuing death was enough for Albus to despise him. He knew that Severus knowing about Kurach's death would bring him no comfort, but he wished for him to find out sooner rather than later.

"He was…"

Whatever Kurach was in Severus' was not to be heard. The two wizard were interrupted by the arrival of a familiar little mess of feathers. Thoroughly energized about delivering a letter, Ron Weasley's owl Pigwidgeon flew around the office excitedly. He held a piece of parchment tied to his leg, but he was too busy flying to actually make the delivery. Severus had to grab the tiny, fluttering owl by the neck to unattach the letter. Releasing the ball of feathers into the open air, Severus was surprised to find his name scrawled on the front of the parchment.

_Severus,_

_There has been some information that you must hear at once. Return to the place you just left as soon as possible._

_R.L_

What on Earth did Remus Lupin wish to speak with him about, Severus wondered.

"I have no inkling," Albus said after reading the parchment. "But perhaps it is best that you speak to Remus immediately."

After using Albus' fireplace to floo to the Three Broomsticks and then Apparating from there to number twelve Grimmauld Place, Severus found himself mildly interested in what Remus could possibly have to say to him. He opened the front door to come face to face with Hermione Granger. Annoyed to have to endure her presence outside of Hogwarts, Severus said nothing to her.

"Excuse me, Professor," she said, jumping out of his way.

He still said nothing to her. Remus met him in the foyer. Ignoring Miss Granger's presence, he handed a large envelope over to Severus.

"What is this?" Severus demanded without opening it.

"Look inside," replied Remus calmly.

Pulling an enlarged photograph from the envelope and nothing else giving any sort of explanation, Severus was more than a little frustrated with the werewolf.

"What is this?" Severus demanded again.

"Just look at it." Remus' tone was not the one he usually used with the surly potions master. It was much gentler, much calmer.

Irritated that Remus Lupin had found a way to keep him from enjoying a much needed night's sleep, Severus grudgingly looked at the photograph. There was nothing remarkable about it. A young woman about the age of fifteen or sixteen sat on a bench laughing with a boy about her age.

"Who is this?" He demanded, his patience wearing terribly thin.

"Anza."

"What?"

"Severus, your daughter is alive."


	17. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

_Severus, your daughter is alive. Severus, your daughter is alive. Severus, your daughter is alive. Severus, your daughter is alive. Severus, your daughter is alive. _

Though the words swirled around in his head… He could not, would not believe this man. How very like he and his friends it would be to try to cause him pain and sorrow for no other reason than for a bit of fun. Throwing the photograph of his 'daughter' down onto the ground, Severus leapt at the werewolf. Not expecting the kind of reaction he received to the news that his daughter was alive, Remus was caught off guard.

"How dare you!" Severus shouted, holding Remus up against a wall by his neck.

The full moon was only a few days away, making the normally agile wizard weaker than usual. Severus could feel how easy it would be for him to simply squeeze the life out of the man. His anger level was certainly high enough for that kind of action. How dare he make light of the worst part of his life? His daughter was dead; he watched her enter the cottage and then the explosion… he shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the memories that plagued his every waking hour.

"Professor!" exclaimed Hermione Granger. She had never left the room, her presence entirely forgotten by the two wizards.

"This is none of your concern, Miss Granger," he answered her, his voice icily cold. "What the hell do you want from me, Lupin? Why would you say something like that? Anza is dead. She has been dead for fourteen years."

"Look at the photograph again, Severus," Remus replied, his voice raspy due to the tight cling of Severus' hand around his throat.

He dropped hold of Remus' neck, albeit reluctantly. Rarely were the opportunities he had to cause bodily harm to a member of the 'Gryffindor Trio' of his youth. The photograph had fluttered to the ground when he threw it… right at Hermione Granger's feet. She was holding it now, looking intently on the two figures smiling and laughing in the photograph.

"This is your daughter, Professor?" She asked, her voice hardly a whisper.

"Kindly return it to me, Miss Granger."

He held out his hand for the article. Grudgingly she returned it. Severus scanned the photograph once more. He did not know either of the two teenagers seated on the bench. They looked happy, that was certain, but he could not allow himself to believe that that girl, that beautiful young girl, was his Anza. There were similarities to be certain. The girl looked remarkably like his elder sister Speranza from the face down to the petite size of her frame. Her hair was auburn, the same shade his Anza had as a child and the same shade of Marina's hair. The similarities were incredible, but she could not possibly be his child. Thrusting the picture back into Remus' hand he turned to leave the headquarters.

"My daughter is dead, Remus," he said, reaching for the exit door. "Kindly remember that."

* * *

Severus had rarely been that mad. How dare Remus? That question went through his head a hundred times over the course of the next few days. His daughter was dead… of that he was certain. How many times over the course of the last fourteen years had he had to quash all hopes that he would one day be able to look at his daughter's smiling face one day? How many times had he realized that that was never going to happen? How many times did he wake up and for a few moments before he was completely aware of where he was think that he needed to check on Anza? Make sure nothing had happened to her? That she was still sleeping in the next room and breathing? The fears and concerns of a parent never end… not even when their children are dead.

Remus had been cruel to say his daughter was alive and show him that photograph. He did not have children, so he could not possibly understand how cruel the act was. Damn him.

Three days later he sat in the pandemonium of the Great Hall during the first breakfast of term. Classes were to resume later that morning despite his wish to enjoy a few more days of peace and quiet alone in the castle. As it stood at that moment hundreds of excited students fresh from the holiday and an exasperating (was there any other kind?) Dolores Umbridge were weighing heavily on his mind. Both were already taxing his limited nerves. The Hogwarts High Inquisitor was already harping on him to finish her batch of Veritaserum she needed for 'official Ministry business'. The students… well, as always the students reminded him too much of his own daughter… or rather what he had lost the day she died… he would never be able to look up from his seat at the High Table and see his Anza laughing with her friends (at the Slytherin table naturally)… he would never see how well (because of course his daughter would be excellent) she could brew potions… he would never see her bundled up in the cold screaming for her house Quidditch team. There were so many experiences his daughter would never have that these students took for granted every day.

_Damn Remus_. Damn him for bringing up thoughts he was usually able to suppress. His thoughts were so full of all the ways he would like to murder Remus Lupin that he did not even notice the mail arrive.

"Severus… Severus!" Minerva elbowed him roughly in the side to gain his attention.

"Oh… uh, what?" He was too dazed and in thought to even be upset with the witch.

"You have a letter."

Indeed he did. Sitting in the middle of his toast was a note scribbled in a hand he had come to know well since the reforming of the Order of the Phoenix. Not entirely in the mood to hear what his fellow resistance member had to say, but still curious to know what he could possibly have else to say to him… Severus opened the note.

_Severus,_

_Forgive me for the abrupt way I broke the news of your daughter to you the other night. DO NOT CRUMPLE THIS UP AND THROW IT AWAY! Please… hear me out. There is a great deal about the situation that I do not understand. My friend Gwendolyn in Belgium is gathering up some information that I am unaware of as we speak. This is a long story… a strange one at that… I would much rather speak to you in person about it. Please allow me a few days to correspond with Gwen… she has been an enormous help. Please forgive me once more for the way I handled the news the other evening. You had every right to be angry and_ _upset with me… I do not fault you in any way._

_R.L_

_P.S. A student will be by your office later this evening (probably 8:30) to return something of yours. Please be kind._

Severus did not crumple up the letter though the thought had definitely been there when he read the first line of Remus' letter. He just did not know when to quit. Frustrated with Lupin's continued insistence that he had information, or he was having his friend Gwendolyn or whomever gather information, that would explain how and why Anza did not die fourteen years earlier in an explosion he saw with his own eyes, Severus stood up from the table. He exited the Great Hall with little ceremony... few even took notice. He had a few words for Mr. R.J. Lupin.

* * *

Severus hated to drink. Oh, he _loved_ to drink all right. Memories were easier to forget under the influence of alcohol. He was able to forget the people in his past long gone… though he had to be careful exactly what he drank. Drinking mulled mead brought back too many memories of Ursula, of the night they shared in the darkness of the secret greenhouse courtyard. Years had passed since a drop of mead touched his lips. Bourbon reminded him too much of Luca Malfoy, the innocent man he killed on accident. He had never so much as tasted bourbon because of that wizard. Vodka, though never a drink he particularly cared for, was the drink of choice for Miloslav Kurach. How fitting that the Russian word for water 'voda' is almost the exact same word as the spirit. Like the stereotypical Russian, Kurach consumed copious amounts of the awful liquid. Brandy had never been much to his liking… it reminded him too much of both his father and Julian Malfoy, two men he would have done anything to have removed from his memory. His sister Speranza loved to drink wine. Simply looking at a glass of merlot made his heart constrict that the influx of emotions he had remembering his sister. The only kind of alcohol that he willingly imbibed was Ogden's Fire Whiskey. It was the only kind that did not have some terrible memories associated with it.

But Severus did hate to drink…within the castle while students were inside. He had had enough experience as a student with a Head of House who drank heavily that he knew he did not want that for himself. If he drank inside the castle during term he always waited until he was safe within the confines of his own chambers and that there would be very little chance that he would have to leave to do something for the school.

This evening, however, he made an exception. Hidden inside the desk in his office was a bottle of his favorite fire whiskey. Feeling that with all of the stress that Remus had heaped on him the last few days, Severus helped himself to a large glass. One glass turned to two and then to a third. He was in the process of pouring himself a fourth when there was a knock at the door. Looking up at the clock on his wall he noted the time at just half past eight. Wondering who would be disturbing him in his office at this time of night, he barked out a loud 'Enter!' as he hurriedly stashed away any evidence that he had been drinking.

_Exactly what I do not need_, he muttered to himself. Hermione Granger was standing in the doorway of his room, looking both nervous and concerned.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He asked roughly, the amount of alcohol he had consumed already fraying his nerves.

"Remus… I mean, Mr. Lupin asked me to return this to you."

She handed Severus the photograph of his 'daughter'. Sneering at both the photograph and the young prefect who was handing it to him, Severus snatched the picture from Hermione's hand. Forgetting for a moment that Miss Granger had not left, he scanned the picture once more.

"Is she really your daughter, Professor?" asked Miss Granger in what was a bold move on her part.

He said nothing, only continued to stare at the haunting features of the young auburn haired girl in the photo.

"She is beautiful," Hermione added.

"My daughter is dead, Miss Granger," Severus replied quietly, surprising himself with the knowledge that he had willingly divulged that information to the young witch.

"I am very sorry." Her concern was genuine, even the partially intoxicated potions professor could tell by the tone of her voice.

"She was killed when she very young in an explosion," he went on to explain, his inhibitions about speaking so candidly with a student about private matters virtually non-existent due to the amount of Ogden's Fire Whiskey he had had to drink before her arrival.

"Oh."

Hermione said nothing else, only excused herself to leave the room. It was no secret to her that her potions professor was under the influence. She was familiar with the signs. There was no doubt in her ultra perceptive mind as to the reason why there was the hint of whiskey still lingering about his person. He was thinking about his daughter. Remus had handled the entire situation wrong, she had thought quietly to herself. That sort of information is not the kind that can be simply blurted out. She had tried to explain that to Remus, who was desperately in need of a woman's opinion and advice, but he had said nothing to her about the situation. Only asked that she remember that this was highly confidential information. He made her swear that she would reveal her secret to no one; Severus' very life and the life of his daughter were at stake. Naturally she agreed.

"Professor," she said before she exited out the door to his office. "While I do not pretend to know the entire situation I do know two things."

"And what are those, Miss Granger?" He asked, extremely annoyed but mildly interested in what Little Miss Know it All had to say.

"One… Remus would not lie to you especially not to cause you any harm. He is not a vindictive person."

She paused for either dramatic effect or to simply take a deep breath and continue.

"And two – you may have seen your daughter in an explosion when she was younger… you may have even see her die, but sometimes, especially in the world of magic, things are not always exactly what they seem."

She opened the door quietly. When she was halfway over the threshold, she turned to look directly into the hurting eyes of Severus Snape.

"The girl in the picture has your eyes. Good night, Professor."

The door clicked shut behind her. Groaning loudly with frustration, Severus brought out his whiskey once more. He continued pouring himself a fourth glass. Hermione Granger was almost as annoying as that damned werewolf… intruding in his solitude, giving opinions that she had no right to give about events and subjects she could not possibly understand. And the way that she just calmly told him that the girl had his eyes… it was infuriating. Finishing off his fourth glass on whiskey in one swallow, he slammed the empty tumbler onto his desk.

"My eyes," he muttered under his breath.

Severus was prepared to dispute Miss Granger's observation about the young girl's eyes, but looking into them now he found he could not. She did indeed have his eyes. The shape of hers was identical to his. Peering even closer he found her eyes to be the same color. Anza had eyes indistinguishable from his… that had always been a feature of hers that garnered her notice. She seemed to be too pretty to actually belong to the sallow man with the hooknose, but those eyes… those eyes gave unmistakable proof that she belonged to her father. This girl in the picture, whoever she was did have eyes very similar to his, but how could she possibly be his Anza? His daughter was dead.

_You may have even see her die, but sometimes, especially in the world of magic, things are not always exactly what they seem._

Hermione Granger's words swirled around in his already muddled head. Certainly many things in their world happened that could not be disputed… but there were always ways to make a situation look one way when it was indeed another. How many times working with the Order of the Phoenix or the Death Eaters did he have to alter a situation to make it something it was not? Hell, many of the potions he brewed had the power to change a person or make them think something happened that in actuality never occurred. He thought on that for a moment, but even in his intoxication he dismissed the idea. Yes, he had seen the explosion, but he had not imagined it. Dozens of people, many of them Ministry of Magic personnel saw the aftermath of the explosion. That was not an incident merely dreamed up by a madman or by one under the influence. It had actually happened.

Severus looked closely at the photograph. It was also not unheard of for pictures to be tampered with, to make a picture of something that was not real. Even Muggles knew how to alter pictures… for a wizard it would be no trouble at all. Was there not some age-progressing technique that Muggles employed at times? If they could take a picture of a child and progress it to where it would look years older then a wizard or witch would have no problem doing the same.

He knew someone who would have the answer to his question. Throwing a pinch of Floo powder in to the fireplace, he called up the one wizard who could answer his question about charms.

"Yes? Oh, Severus, what can I do for you?" asked Filius Flitwick.

"I have a question about charms and photographs," he said, his voice slowly starting to slur.

"All right."

He explained how Muggles could change photographs, tamper with them, edit them, whatever one wished to call it… but how they could make a photograph do anything, show anything they wished. He also explained the Muggle's age-progressing method he had once heard spoken of.

"And you wish to know if it was possible for a wizard to alter a photograph in this manner?" Professor Flitwick asked, to be certain he completely understood the inebriated wizard.

"Yes."

"Every photograph that is taken and developed in a special developing potion carries its own unique mark. If a photo has been altered or tampered with in any way, the mark would become distorted or change colors," Flitwick explained, animatedly. He always did enjoy explaining something new about Charms. "Usually the mark is a simple green dot on the back of the photo. If it were changed in any way the dot would be a different color. It is a very simple incantation actually. Simply tap the photo with your wand and say 'mutatio'."

"Mutatio?"

"Yes."

Severus followed Filius' instructions to the letter. He tapped the photograph while the elder wizard looked on and said the word 'mutatio'. As he did so, a green mark appeared on the back of the photo.

"Is it green?" Filius asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Then you can be certain that that photograph is original and has not been changed in any way."

"Thank you for your help."

"You are absolutely welcome, Severus," beamed Flitwick. "If you require any more assistance you can be sure to find me here."

Severus turned away from the fireplace, but before he completely forgot the Charms professor…

"Oh, and Severus," began Filius. "Do try not to drink too much. We still have lessons in the morning. No doubt conducting a potions lesson with a hangover is the worst idea you could have."

Severus ignored the wizard and Flitwick's head left. So the photograph was original… that did not dispel any thoughts that he had as to its authenticity. The girl could be anyone.

He watched the two figures in the photograph intensely. He scrutinized every feature of the girl's, as she was the one he was most interested in. She was happy in the photo… something funny had just happened. She smiled at the boy with a foolish smile and then threw her head back to laugh. The act was familiar to Severus. It was eerily familiar.

"Could Miss Granger be right?" He asked himself, thankful that no one was around to witness him wonder if the Know it all was right about something.

Hidden in the top drawer of his desk was a photo that he rarely removed. It was old. Its edges had a great bit of wear from the number of times he used to stare at it. Looking back on the old thing brought back memories and thoughts he wished he could forget… but to forget the bad times of our past we must also forget the good times. Holding the photograph reverently he found himself staring into the eyes of his two-year-old daughter. She was celebrating her second birthday in the picture. It had been a small affair with only her father, her father's best friend Cordelia and young Gregory Goyle. Anza and Gregory had been great friends as tiny children though like on her second Halloween Gregory often bit. He also used to play too rough, but Anza could take care of herself Severus had soon learned. In the picture both Anza and chubby Gregory had cake all over their faces. They were both laughing, Anza throwing her head back as she used to always do. She laughed with everything she had, even at such a young age.

The similarities between the way Anza at two laughed and the young teenager laughed were unmistakable. He had to admit it to himself. Severus was looking at a picture of his daughter. She had not died so many years before as he thought. Simply by comparing the two photographs he received confirmation of something he already knew to be true within him. The moment Remus said Anza was alive Severus knew in his heart it was true. He could feel it… could feel that mysterious bond between parent and child. His brain refused to let himself believe it without adequate proof. He had been hurt too many times in the past when he imagined that she was still alive and he would see her one day.

The knowledge, the acceptance that his daughter was alive broke the man. Though he should have been rejoicing… he buried his face in his hands and began to cry. How many years had been wasted? And for what? Why? These questions flooded his brain as tears fell down his cheeks.

"Professor?"

Severus looked up horrified. Hermione Granger had returned and by the look on her face, the last thing she ever imagined seeing was her formidable potions master in tears… drunken tears at that. In her eyes he saw the emotion he hated the most… pity. _Damn Hermione Granger and her pity eyes!_

"What!" He demanded.

"I.. uhh, I forgot this when I was in here earlier."

She crossed the room uncertainly to hand him a letter. Taking it quickly from her hand, Severus dismissed her, praying that she could not see the tears still in his eyes.

"Are you all right, Professor?" she asked timidly.

"As you have returned to do what you forgot to earlier," he began, feeling a tinge of shame creep up the back of his neck. "And you appear to be finished, you may leave."

He did not want to answer her question. It was none of her business.

"Right."

She turned to leave the room as abruptly as she came in. Before she was completely out of the door…

"Miss Granger…"

"I will not tell anyone, Professor," she assured him. "It is none of my business anyway."

_That is the first time she has said something I completely agree with_. Severus watched as the young prefect exited the room swiftly. No doubt seeing him in such a vulnerable state was upsetting for her. _Damn_! Looking down at the letter he recognized Remus Lupin's writing.

_Severus,_

_Some new information has surfaced thanks to my friend Gwen. I would like to meet you in the Three Broomsticks this Thursday evening around nine. If I do not receive a reply from you, I will expect to see you there._

_R.L._

Crumbling up the letter and throwing it into the fire, Severus stood up from his desk. He was angry. He was upset. He really needed more to drink.

* * *

Filius Flitwick had never been more correct. Following a night of heavy binge drinking in Hogsmeade's dodgy pub The Hog's Head, Severus had the worst hangover he had ever had in his life. To make matters much worse than they already were, he was out of Hangover Solution. He rarely required the brew, so often he did not have any on hand. Lessons, including one where Neville Longbottom created another explosion, and then the private Occlumency lessons with Harry Potter were dreadful. How he managed to get through that entire day was a complete and total mystery to the man. He swore of Fire Whiskey for the time being.

A strange thing to do now that he was back in a pub. It was Thursday night. Remus Lupin was set to arrive any moment now with the information and evidence Severus required to believe his story about his daughter still being alive. Calmly sipping a warm butterbeer, Severus found himself impatient at the werewolf's tardiness. The full moon had just ended a couple of nights before, so he expected Remus to be feeling a little under the weather, but he did not expect the man to be thirty minutes late to the meeting her scheduled in the first place.

"Please forgive me, Severus," Remus said as he sat gingerly down in the chair across from the annoyed potions master. "I was speaking with Gwen over the Floo. It took much longer than I expected."

"Now that you have me here, Lupin," he said, a hint of aggravation present in his silky voice. "Kindly explain to me this _evidence_ you have to contradict what I witnessed with my own eyes fourteen years ago."

Lupin began pulling sheets of parchment and photographs from the inside of his robe. Laying them out on the table he tried to organize them in a certain way.

"You will have to be patient with me, Severus," he began. "But a lot of what I know could also be considered speculation."

"So you are not entirely sure of anything that you speak of?"

"No… I… well, mostly Gwendolyn has figured out what happened."

"Who is this Gwendolyn person you continue to speak of and how is she connected to my daughter?"

Remus sighed nervously. Taking his eyes away from Severus', mostly because he knew the man to be a Legilimens, he looked tense to answer the question.

"She is an old school friend of mine," he explained. "We went to Hogwarts together, though she was in a different house… Gwendolyn Wakefield."

"The name is not familiar to me." Severus knew very few students who were not in his own House when he went to school.

"Yes, well, she has been living in Belgium for several years now. I try to visit her as often as I can."

"As fascinating as I am sure your love life is, Remus, kindly explain what she has to do with my daughter. Why does she have so much information? Why is she claiming that my daughter is alive?"

"Because she has been teaching your daughter for five years now."

The news was a bit of shock to Severus. Of course most things that Remus told him over the past few days had been shocking.

"She has been teaching Anza for five years now?" He repeated, not sure if he should trust what the werewolf said.

"Not far from Oostende on the coast of Belgium there is a flourishing wizard settlement. Many of those who settled there are from this area. Some are shady kind of people. Several of them have been kicked out of Britain or are otherwise on the run."

"Sounds lovely," he replied mockingly.

"Gwen teaches in a small wizarding school in the settlement. There is a girl there she always used to tell me that reminded her of someone she knew in Britain. No matter how hard she tried she could not place the girl. I myself met her, a girl named Anza, but could not think of how I knew her."

During the first war against Voldemort, Remus had seen Severus with his daughter on a couple of occasions in Diagon Alley. Though Severus felt extremely uncomfortable with his daughter being anywhere near a werewolf, Remus had nothing but nice things to say for the happy girl.

"Anza?" Severus raised his eyebrow at this.

"Yes, an unusual name to be sure. I knew that I knew someone who had a daughter named Anza, but I could not remember for the life of me who it was. It was almost like the name was at the tip of my tongue, waiting for me to say it.

"The girl Anza was a best friend with Gwen's son Sean. That is how I came to meet her. It was frustrating being around her, knowing that there was something about her that I could not quite place. She seemed reluctant to speak about her family with me as well. From Gwen I learned a little bit about her past, her family, but nothing too concrete. There seemed to be a veil of mystery surrounding the girl. I learned that she had a Russian mother named Marina who drank too much and was very cruel to her. Anza often stayed with Gwen and Sean in their home when her mother disappeared for days at a time."

_That sounds like Marina_, Severus found himself thinking. Despite his better wished he was not only intrigued in the story Lupin was telling, but also beginning to believe it.

"Gwen said she had been around Marina a few dozen times, but each time she left her, Gwen felt she had more questions than answers. She could not exactly explain how she felt around Marina; just that it was strange, like there was a big secret that no one knew. She also felt under the influence of some powerful spell whenever she left their home."

"Do you have anything concrete to explain this story to me or are you merely speculating about mysteries and conspiracies?" demanded Severus, who felt himself annoyed about the subject of Marina.

Remus pushed some of the parchment over to Severus. Pages had been ripped out of books, each one covered in scribbles of an elegant hand in the margins. There were articles about 'Forgetfulness Charms', 'Befuddling Draughts' and a dozen or so other magical specimens designed to confuse a person. The last page in the stack of parchments caught Severus' eye immediately. A paragraph at the bottom was circled in red ink and 'Severus' written out beside it by the same hand.

_A less commonly used aspect of the Fidelius Charm allows the one casting the spell create an area of confusion around a person or thing by removing a thought, word, or person from their mind. Located within the heart of a Secret Keeper is this thought, word or person._

_One instance this use of the charm was employed by an elderly witch in the seventeenth century terrified that someone was going to steal all of her money. After performing the charm using her dog as the Secret Keeper, that in itself a foolish move, the woman made it so any time a person was standing around her or her home they temporarily forgot money even existed. The spell would wear off about an hour after they left her home. Italy's Ministry of Magic discovered what the woman was doing after many peddlers selling their wares were completely emptied out. They claimed they never even thought about money when they were around her, thus giving their wares to her for free._

_Another use has been used to make a person completely forget that another person even exists. A wizard in China accused of murder in the early nineteenth century cast the charm with his wife as the Secret Keeper. Any time a person was around him, with the exception of his wife because she held the secret, they would forget that he even existed. Thus, no one ever caught the man until his wife died tragically in a broomstick accident. With her death the spell ended. The authorities arrested and tried the man._

"Let me see if I understand what you are trying to say," Severus began, rubbing his tired eyes. "You believe that somehow Marina cast a spell so that any time anyone was around her…"

"And Anza."

"And Anza… they temporarily forgot I even existed?"

"Yes," Remus sighed. "It made the most sense. Naturally looking at Anza or hearing her unusual name would remind us of you, Severus… but any time I was in her presence I could tell that there was something wrong, that I was under the influence of a confusing charm. Naturally your name never even entered into my thoughts around her."

"All right, that does seem to make some sense," Severus conceded. "But why is it now that you can connect Anza with me? Did something change?"

"Gwen believes that something happened to the Secret Keeper. Perhaps they died."

_Kurach… damn him_. Certainly he would do anything for his beloved Marinochka. He already proved that when he brewed Polyjuice Potion allowing her to steal his precious daughter. Yes, he would certainly keep that secret for them.

"Marina's uncle just passed away on Friday."

"That's when Gwen owled me to say that she thought Anza was your daughter!"

"Then at least how Anza was hidden has been answered, but how do you explain her death?"

Yes, Remus had done an excellent job explaining how Anza was kept hidden, but nothing had been said about her death. Severus witnessed an explosion moments after seeing his ex-wife drag his daughter into the cottage. Albus saw the Ministry officials remove a tiny body from the wreckage. The medical staff had declared Marina and Anza both dead. How could all of that be explained away?

"We are not sure about that yet," Remus explained. "There are many different theories of course. Sean it seems has some of the more believable ones."

"Sean is Gwen's son?"

"Yes, an absolute genius if you ask me. He knows a great deal, might even be able to keep up with your potions brewing."

"What does he believe happened to my daughter?"

"So you are aware, no one has spoken to Anza about this yet. We all agreed that it would be best for you to hear it first… before we told her." He explained. "Sean believes that the accident you saw that day was not all it appeared to be."

Severus was instantly reminded of Hermione's sage words of advice.

"From what Albus…"

"You spoke to Albus about this?" Severus demanded, feeling at once infuriated that what was so private could become so public.

"I have not told him the whole story, only bits of pieces where I knew I could not lie. Because I was unaware of how dark the Velousov family actually was, Albus explained some things to me. He told me how when you were searching for your daughter after she was kidnapped how easy it was for Marina to acquire a portkey. Those are hard to acquire in any country unless you know the right people. Albus also told me how Marina used Polyjuice potion to impersonate Poppy Pomfrey.

"Sean pieced together a rather realistic account of what might have happened that day. Though we may never know exactly what went on, Gwen is doing all that she can to find out from Marina. I suggested Veritaserum, but she has to wait to brew a proper batch first."

"What does Sean believe happened?" Severus was getting anxious to hear the story.

"He believes that on that day Marina somehow knew that you would arrive when you did. Maybe she had some sort of tracking spell or something to let her know the moment you would arrive. She had to make sure you heard Anza's screams, so you would run after them and witness the explosion and their 'deaths'. When you saw them enter the cottage, Sean believes that Marina and Anza used the portkey to leave a moment before another person on the outside of the cottage detonated an explosion. To you it would look exactly like they had just gone in there and there was no time for them to escape. It all could have happened so quickly."

"And the bodies that were found?"

"Most likely belonged to two strangers… two people that were murdered solely for that purpose. Sean believes that maybe Polyjuice potion was given to them moments before they were killed, perhaps by the third person involved in the scheme. So when the Ministry of Magic officials showed up they saw two bodies that belonged to a young woman and a young girl. The bodies were too damaged for a positive identification, but if you said that you saw them enter the cottage and not leave before the explosion, the Ministry most likely just took your word that they were who you said they were even without definitive testing and proof."

Severus ordered a glass of Fire Whiskey. He felt this was one time that he needed a stiff quaff of that liquid to boost his spirits. The story he had just heard, the speculation, the theories all made perfect sense. If Gwendolyn Wakefield, whomever she was, was capable of forcing Marina to take Veritaserum than they would all have the answers they needed.

He sat there quietly for several minutes nursing his whiskey and letting the weight of the information sink in. While he sat there, an owl burst out of the fireplace. It headed straight for Remus, dropping a letter in his lap. Quickly opening the letter that Severus noticed was written in the same handwriting as the writing in the margins of the notes, Remus quickly scanned it. An indescribable look crossed his face.

"Anza has just been told that you know she is alive," Remus explained.

"And?"

"And she says she wants to come home."

* * *

_A/N: I just wanted to take this moment to thank everyone who has read my story, especially those of you who have reviewed. Your reviews make my day, especially when you let me know that you actually enjoy the piffle I'm writing.:) There were a few questions that were asked that I did not get a chance to explain further so if you do not mind, I will do so here._

_Sallene – Voldemort did not know about Anza's death until Lucius told him in the drawing room because it was not information that the Death Eaters felt was pertinent for him to know. Maybe they did not even think about it. Anza had been dead for almost fourteen years when Voldemort returned, so that was hardly news that they felt would interest the Dark Lord. – Hope that helps!_

_Softballdiva91 – There have been lots of subtle hints throughout the story about who Severus is going to marry in the future. Maybe they are not noticeable to anyone but me because I was the one who put the little clues in, but there are a few hints.:) Not to worry… you will find out soon or at least get an extremely good idea who._

_Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed! I will try to answer any questions that you may have about the story… as long as the answers do not give away too much of the plotline. :)_


	18. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"She says she wants to come home?" Severus asked, hoping that he had not misunderstood.

Remus quickly scanned the letter for a second time.

"Here… read it for yourself." He handed the letter across the table to Severus.

_Dear Remus,_

_I know that we spoke earlier about waiting until the right moment to inform Anza of the events that have occurred over the past few days. I am aware that you wanted to wait until after Severus heard the news (I do hope he is doing all right!)… But there was a problem that we had not foreseen. Anza, the curious young teenager that she is, stumbled upon some of my research while she was over here earlier. Marina, the dreadful woman, has gone off to Russia for a couple of weeks. She left Anza with us. I stepped out of my room for a minute and came back to find her looking at my research. Of course I could not keep the secret much longer._

_Please do not be upset with me, love. It was an accident. But now that she knows… she says she wants to go home. You know how miserable she has been in Belgium. Is there any way you can find to bring her back to Britain? I cannot imagine what this has done to Severus. He must miss his daughter dreadfully. Damn Marina! How could someone do this to their own child? As long as I live I will never understand that woman or why she did what she did. Sean and I will miss Anza, but we both feel like she would do better back there with her father. He would be so much better for her than Marina could ever hope to be. I would imagine him to make an excellent father… Anza certainly needs that._

_I wish you did not have to work so hard with the… well, you know. Since I cannot come back to Britain I do so wish you could come back to Belgium soon. Sean and I miss having you as our guest, myself especially. Please let me know as soon as you can about what to do about Anza. She seems terribly anxious to leave._

_Love, Gwen_

Severus felt a little guilty about being privy to Remus' private correspondence. This woman, this Gwen of his, obviously cared a great deal for the werewolf. How strange that Severus never thought this man was capable of loving and being loved in return. He never thought of Remus Lupin as being his own person… always just another part to the Gryffindor Trio that made his school years so difficult. Strange that he never believed him capable of any relationship with anyone, let alone a woman, that was not either Sirius Black or James Potter. He also found the way that Gwen spoke about him a little disconcerting. Though he was usually able to prevent himself from feeling guilty, knowing that he could not remember a woman who seemed to know so much about him made him feel guilty for the second time that evening.

"What do you propose we do, Severus?" Remus asked, carefully folding the letter from Gwen and stowing it away in his robes.

"Bring Anza back home." There was no hesitation in his answer. Of course there was only one thing for them to do… find a way to bring his Anza home.

"I will speak with Gwen and some members of the Order," he explained. "We will come up with an adequate solution to bring Anza back where she belongs."

Though he did not want to do it, he knew he had to.

"Thank you, Remus." The thanks were sincere.

"You are very welcome," Remus did not look Severus in the eye. "It was the least I could do to help after that…"

He did not need to speak another word for them both to know what he was referring to. Remus still felt guilty for the malicious prank Sirius Black played on him their sixth year. He believed that it was fate that allowed him to find Severus' daughter for him… after he was almost responsible for what could have been either Severus' death or his imprisonment within the body of a wild animal. Standing up from the table, Remus shook Severus' outstretched hand firmly.

"We will be in touch," he said before rushing out the front door of the pub.

Severus finished off his glass of whiskey, but did not need to order a second. There was no reason. He could not remember when his nerves were this calm or his head this clear. His daughter was alive… and she was coming home.

* * *

All hell had broken out after the ten Death Eaters broke out of Azkaban. All hell for the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix that is. The Dark Lord and his followers were extremely happy with the Death Eaters who rejoined their ranks. Certainly the Dark Lord was overjoyed to have his "most faithful followers" return to him.

For the Order, naturally the escape of so many dangerous followers of He Who Must Not Be Named was a disaster. That was all anyone ever spoke of during their meetings. While guard duty at the Ministry of Magic outside of the Department of Mysteries had to be modified after the attack on Arthur Weasley, all they spoke about were the escaped Death Eaters. It was all anyone in wizarding Britain could talk about. Order meetings were extra chaotic with everyone fearing the worst that could possibly happen.

"Is there anything new to report, Severus?" a weary Albus Dumbledore asked during a particularly stressful meeting.

Severus stood up slowly, the look of a man who had been sleeping very little all over his face.

"The Dark Lord is pleased with the escape," Severus explained to the fatigued assembled group. "As of now the plans have not changed. The top priority for You Know Who is to get into the Department of Mysteries and retrieve that prophecy regarding him and Harry Potter."

There were murmurs up and down the long, conference table used for the meetings. Since the escape of the Death Eaters and because so many of the Order had been able to recruit even new members, witches and wizards of all shapes and sizes were lining the walls of the kitchen. Standing room was all that was left of the large room.

"Why does he want the prophecy?" asked one of the newer recruits, a young foreign witch that Severus had not yet met.

"Because he wants to hear it in its entirety," Severus answered, frustrated that he did not have more information. "When the prophecy was foretold his follower only heard part of it. Now he wishes to hear the entire thing to see if there was some important part that he missed. The Dark Lord is planning on using that prophecy to his advantage."

"But why have there been no break-ins since Arthur was attacked?" demanded Molly Weasley. She had yet to recover from the shock after the near death of her husband.

"Just as we are trying to figure out the best way to enter the Department and retrieve the prophecy for ourselves, so is the other side," Severus replied. "Sending Broderick Bode was an obvious mistake. As he is neither Harry Potter nor the Dark Lord himself trying to take the prophecy caused him to go insane. And unfortunately he died only last week."

The meeting continued for only a few short minutes after Severus' report. There simply was not enough new information. Severus himself felt blameworthy because he was not gathering enough useful information. It seemed to him that he was being kept away from all but the most mundane of Death Eater information. In the back of his mind he feared that his role as a spy had been found out… but then he knew that could not be possible because Lord Voldemort would have killed him immediately if he knew he was working for the other side… especially for Dumbledore.

"Severus," Remus said, pulling the wizard away from the crowd rushing to leave the headquarters. "I wonder if I might be able to have a few words with you in the drawing room."

The two men excused themselves from the throng and headed up to the empty drawing room. When they had been there less than fifteen seconds, the door opened to permit Molly and Bill Weasley to enter.

"You said you wished to speak with us, Remus?" Molly asked, giving Severus a pleasant, indulgent smile.

"Yes, please come on in."

Remus waved them over a moldy, malodorous sofa. Bill and Molly seated themselves next to Remus, but Severus chose instead to stand. Had there been any room left on the sofa he would have chosen to stand as well.

"What is this about, Remus?" Severus demanded in a petulant tone. "I need to return to the castle as soon as possible."

"I would think of all the people in this room you would be the most anxious to hear what I have to say, Severus," Remus retorted in a voice that made everyone in the room certain that he was not one to anger on that particular evening. "It does concern your daughter after all."

"Very well then."

Severus ceased the pacing he had begun only moments before they were joined by the Weasleys. If this had something to do with Anza, he wanted to hear it.

"I asked Molly and Bill to join us here, Severus, because in a way, what I am proposing we do involves them," Remus explained.

"What is it that you require of us, Remus?" Bill asked, always up for a little bit of excitement for the Order.

"Severus has asked me to figure out a good way to bring his daughter Anza back to Britain for him. After speaking with Gwen…"

Molly Weasley gave the young werewolf a smile at the mention of Gwen's name. She had had many conversations with Remus regarding the mysterious woman he fancied in Belgium.

"We decided that the best way to bring Anza back would be to find a way to keep her mother from becoming suspicious. As far as we know, Marina Velousova has yet to figure out that the altered Fidelius Charm she cast has ceased to work," Remus went on to explain. "If she knew that it was not working Gwen has no doubt that they would leave Belgium as quickly as they could."

"How are you expecting to remove Anza from Belgium, bring her back her and _not_ have Marina think that it has something to do with me?" Severus asked, extremely interested in knowing how Remus was going to figure out this problem.

"That is where the Weasley family comes in."

"I am not sure I understand, Remus," said Molly. "How can we help? We have never even met Miss Snape."

"Not far from the wizarding settlement Anza lives in is a dragon colony.

"Ohhh, I think I understand," announced Bill. "Charlie?"

"What do dragons have to do with any of this?" Severus' patience was wearing thin.

"You want to make it seem like Anza left the country on her own, right?" Bill asked, paying no heed to Severus' remark.

"Exactly."

Molly seemed to understand the plan. Bill obviously understood. And Remus, well, Remus made the plan. They all looked around at each other with satisfied looks on their faces, but Severus wanted to scream at them. He did not understand. Sensing his annoyance and frustration at being the only person to not understand, Molly turned to him and smiled.

"I think what the plan is, and Remus stop me if I am wrong," Molly began. "Is send my son Charlie to work with the dragons near the settlement. I would assume that because it was a wizarding village he would see your daughter, Severus."

"Right," Remus smiled at her.

"And because girls always seem to fall for that rogue dragon tamer gig," Bill continued. "It would seem only natural that Anza would fall for him."

Severus was beginning to see where this plan was headed, but he certainly did not approve. His daughter and a Weasley? Why the very idea was ridiculous. It was almost as bad as Cordelia's suggestion that his Anza get involved with her son. No, on second thought, a Goyle was a hundred times worse than a Weasley, but Severus still had higher hopes for his daughter than that.

"This plan will have to take months to work properly," Remus added.

"Months?" sneered Severus. He did not like the sound of that. He wanted his daughter in Britain yesterday… or to be more exact, fourteen years ago.

"To work properly, yes," he continued. "Otherwise Marina might become suspicious and flee with your daughter again."

Severus knew he had to trust this man, though every ounce of him screamed against it. If he had his way he would be on the first broomstick to Belgium to carry his daughter back home. But, he had to remind himself, chasing after Marina and Anza did not work the first time. How could he possibly expect it to work a second?

"I hope that you do not mind, Molly, or you Severus, but I have already spoken with Charlie about going to Belgium," Remus added quietly, not entirely sure of the reaction he was going to receive.

"All right," Molly answered, unsure of herself. "Is this thing terribly dangerous?"

"If your son can work with dragons day in and day out," Severus replied. "Then he can certainly be prepared for anything that Marina could throw at him."

Molly seemed pleased with the response, and against his better judgment, Severus was beginning to understand that this plan of Remus' might actually work.

"So Charlie and Anza make it look like they have fallen for each other," Bill said. "But how do I come in?"

"I will explain your role in just a moment," answered Remus. "Anza has already agreed to this plan. Gwen told me, so that should not be a problem. She is anxious to return to Britain. I do not believe she has ever been truly happy living with her mother."

"Few people would be," Severus muttered to himself though the entire room heard him.

"After a rather public courtship, they will make it look like Anza has run off with Charlie," Remus continued to explain. He looked around at the two parents in the room to gauge whether or not they thought this was a good plan.

"Well… I do say it will probably work," Molly replied. "But… oh, I don't know. Would the mother not try to stop her daughter? I know that if my Ginny tried to run off with a wizard as old as Charlie I would certainly do all that I could to stop them."

"You would find, Molly, if you spent any time with Marina that she is not a very good mother. She would see this act of Anza's as a way of freeing herself from a burden she never wished to have in the first place." Severus surprised himself. The words escaped his mouth before he even gave them a second thought. He was right, however. Marina would see this as freedom.

"Dreadful," Molly muttered quietly to her son.

"Yes, indeed it is." Remus had only met Marina on two occasions, but he knew he did not like her a bit. She was too cold to be a mother. People like her had no business being parents. It was obvious now that the charm was no longer effective that she had only taken Anza to punish Severus for some wrong she perceived he did. She was a truly terrible woman.

"Okay, so they run off together. Is that when I come in?"

"Oh, yes, of course, Bill," the werewolf continued. "They will leave in the middle of the night on broomsticks. Anza will leave her mother a note explaining what she did."

"No doubt Marina would not care."

The other three in the room chose not to make it obvious that they heard Severus.

"You, Bill, will serve as backup for your brother," Remus explained. "You will meet them off the coast of Belgium on your broomstick to escort them home. I am not sure if Marina will send anyone after her daughter… to be honest, I doubt she would, but in case there is trouble, I want you to be there to help your brother."

"Whoa… now this sounds dangerous," Molly said, obviously not pleased by the thought that her two eldest sons might have to duel evil wizards on broomsticks over the ocean.

"Nah, don't worry about us, Mum," Bill tried to reassure her. "Charlie and I will be just fine."

The plan seemed to be all in order… and most importantly, it sounded like a plan that would work.

"When do you think the Mister Weasleys will return with my daughter?"

"After the end of the school year," he replied, not looking the potions professor in the eye.

It was a long wait for his daughter to be certain, but Severus had to trust that the plan would work. If all went as planned, Marina would not even be aware that Severus knew their daughter was alive until well after Anza was in his care.

"Thank you, Remus," Severus finally said after a moment or two of silence in the dusty, old drawing room of the Black House. "And thank you Molly, Bill."

Being grateful and expressing his thanks was hard for Severus to do under any circumstance. Satisfied that he had done what was required to be polite, Severus excused himself from the room. He had several long months of waiting before he would see his daughter again and he would rather wait somewhere other than Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Waiting turned out to be almost unbearable for Severus Snape. Though used to waiting months on end for a single potion to brew, he was finding it difficult to make it through the rest of the school year. To be fair, this school year was nothing like any of the other years he had taught at Hogwarts. The dynamics were certainly different now with the Ministry of Magic interfering in the school affairs in the form of one Dolores Umbridge, Hogwarts High Inquisitor.

And Dolores seemed to live to make his life miserable. For years he blamed James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin for causing him strife. Then he blamed Luca Malfoy, then his _beloved_ Marina, and then Lucius Malfoy. And then again he found Harry Potter to be an excellent person to lay the blame on. Now… oh, now Dolores Umbridge took the prize as the one person throughout the world who annoyed him the most.

Harry Potter certainly continued to drive the man nuts however. Twice a week the Occlumency lessons continued. Every time they began a lesson, Severus was reminded of years earlier when he was taught by Marina. The memories were still bitter, always putting him in an even fouler mood than he was when he was around Potter usually. Severus found himself agitated with the boy, especially since he was not practicing clearing his mind every night before he went to bed, as he should have done. Severus felt he was wasting his valuable time. Potter obviously wanted to continue his dreams… maybe he wanted to figure out another way to save the day. Damn Gryffindors and their foolishness they mistake for courage.

Harry Potter and Dolores Umbridge combined were worse than any amount of time under the Cruciatus Curse. The castle only got worse after Albus Dumbledore escaped after being cornered in his office. Dumbledore's Army as the illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts organization was called, had been the source of all the trouble. Chock it up to Harry Potter to screw the entire school again. Now Albus was in hiding and there was a new headmistress. Oh, how Severus hated Umbridge… only behind her back of course. And then several of his own Slytherins joined her infernal Inquisitorial Squad. Did the woman have no end to her madness?

He had given her fake Veritaserum to use to interrogate the famous Mr. Potter. It had to be fake, of course. Even though the Ministry and most of the general public believed Harry to be 'the boy who cried wolf' and who only wished for even more attention than he got, he still knew way too much confidential information to have that leaked out to the 'Headmistress'. Harry knew enough about the Order of the Phoenix and its members to get a great deal of people into very serious trouble. Of course he mostly provided the fake potion out of respect for Albus… and because Harry also knew a great deal about his potions professor that could cause some serious problems. She seemed pleased with the potion he offered.

Very soon she had her own problems to worry about. The Weasley twins… oh, yes, he and every other member of the staff, with the exception of Argus Filch, Umbridge herself and Professor Binns who never cared much for what happened outside his classroom, knew exactly who was responsible for the fireworks all over the grounds and within the castle. Privately Severus had been quite impressed with the work they did. He found their exertions worth his future business… if there ever came a time when he needed any of their noteworthy products. The fact that the fireworks multiplied or exploded or did a dozen other actions when certain spells were cast on them was ingenious in his opinion. Coming from Severus Snape that was high praise indeed. If only they had spent a tenth of the their time working in potions… Severus had no doubt they could have been tops in their year.

In this time that Dolores Umbridge reigned supreme at Hogwarts, his Occlumency lessons ended with Harry Potter. Always the curious one, too snooping for his own good, Mr. Potter witnessed his most embarrassing memory. Foolishly thinking that Potter would respect the privacy of a person's pensieve, he had indeed been quite shocked to find the boy looking in his own private memories. The fact that that incident in his fifth year happened at all was humiliating enough… but to have one of his students witness it first-hand… that was almost unbearable. He did not need the Occlumency lessons anyway. Potter was not interested in practicing them, so there really was no need to continue. Severus used that bit of information to ease his blameworthy conscience for years afterward. Though he would have rather died than admit it to anyone, Severus felt responsible for not teaching Harry Occlumency well enough. If he had, then the entire Department of Mysteries debacle could have been avoided and yes, Sirius Black might have lived.

With the rather dramatic exit of the Weasley twins, their swamp still noticeable throughout the hallways of certain parts of the castle, it seemed that maybe the end of the year would slow down. Or at least not be so terribly exciting. Severus was to be wrong however. The end of the year brought final exams to administer and to grade. The Ministry of Magic attacked Minerva McGonagall sending her to the hospital. Many feared she would not survive. And then Hagrid's bloody escape. These were all events no one could stop talking about within the castle.

And then the biggest event of all… the battle of the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort actually showed his face. Even Cornelius Fudge could not deny what he saw. Several of his Slytherin students had to be told that their fathers were now in Azkaban. Severus hated to do it, but it was a duty required of his position.

On the morning following the Battle before breakfast, Severus entered the Slytherin Common room with a grave face. His usual face was grave, but this one was even more so. The students who had already assembled there looked at him uneasily. They knew something was up.

"Excuse me," he said to the small group collected in the room. "There are a few students with whom I need to speak to immediately."

He scanned the faces in the room. Yes, they were all in the room already.

"Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Nott," he read their names off of a list provided by the newly reinstated Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. "Please come with me to my office."

The four young men had concerned looks on their faces, but they dutifully followed their Head of House. Once outside of his office he asked that they all wait outside so that he could speak to them privately one on one. After speaking with both a sick looking Theodore Nott and an angry Vincent Crabbe and instructing them not to say anything to the young men standing outside, but to head straight for he Great Hall, he asked Draco Malfoy to come into his office.

"Please have a seat, Mr. Malfoy," Severus said, pointing to the armchairs by his fireplace.

"What is going on, sir?" Draco asked, his normally pale face streaked with nervous patches of red.

"There is no doubt that you already know what kind of activities your father has been involved in… well, your entire life."

"Did something happen to him?" He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Last night there was a battle within the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic."

Draco's face started to turn green. For a brief moment Severus was concerned he would be sick.

"Is my father… _dead_?" He asked, visibly bracing himself for the worst possible news.

"No," Severus replied quickly to keep the boy from fainting. "But he has been captured."

"Captured?"

"Yes, I am afraid Lucius has been sent to Azkaban for an undetermined amount of time."

Draco was silent for what had to be the first time in his life.

"What happened?" The young student demanded.

Remembering that he had to word himself just so or Draco would catch on to what side he was actually working on, Severus thought carefully how to answer this question.

"If you really want to know," he began. "It was Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter?" Draco's voice was not full of anger as it should have been. No, he was deeply confused. "How is Harry Potter responsible for having my father sent off to Azkaban?"

Severus launched into the story that he knew. While details were fuzzy at best, Albus had been able to explain a little. He had also received some additional information from both Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt. There had also been some owls from quite a few Death Eaters to fill in some of the blanks. It would actually be weeks before he had the full story of what actually happened within the Ministry walls. Severus explained how Harry Potter and his five friends somehow managed to get themselves to London. He also explained the prophecy, or what he knew about it, and the reason that the Death Eaters were in the department to begin with. When he had finished the story, Draco was still silent.

"Your mother will no doubt be able to answer any additional questions you might have," Severus added when Draco had remained silent for over a minute.

"Right," he said as if in a daze.

"Please head off to breakfast, Draco… and kindly ask Mr. Goyle to come in."

Draco walked to the door of the office still in the daze. Obviously he had been unprepared for the information he had just received. Severus only hoped he would not do something rash that would make all parties involved regret it. The potions professor was only alone in his office for a moment before Gregory Goyle entered the room. He had purposely left Gregory to the end. His reasoning for that was unclear to him, but he wanted to wait to talk to him. Perhaps it had something to do with his concern for Cordelia… he wondered if it would be appropriate to write to her or not. They had not spoken in years. Too long of time had passed between them with no words. Though he should have done it earlier, he knew that right now especially Cordelia needed a friend.

"Please sit down, Gregory," he said, his voice full of concern for the young boy. Severus remembered this young man as a baby. As a toddler he used to run around with his little girl. There was a great deal of affection for Gregory on his part. He did so admire his mother, missed her dreadfully. He felt it was his personal responsibility to her to make sure that no harm befell her son while he was under his care.

"What happened, sir?" Gregory asked, obviously nervous to know the answer. He had just seen three of his friends and housemates leave the office upset. No doubt having to wait the longest of all of them to hear the news was hard on him.

"Your father, Gregory," Severus began, but he was not quite sure how to break the news to him.

"What happened?"

Severus was able to tell the story of the Department of Mysteries much better with Gregory than he could with Draco. It was not necessarily that he believed Gregory could not detect what side he was on, it was more that Draco had been trained since a young child to be suspicious of what he heard. He knew that he had to choose his words carefully with Draco, but he was able to speak freely with Gregory.

"Azkaban?" Gregory repeated, to be certain he heard his Head of House correctly. "My father is in Azkaban?"

"Indeed he is."

There was not time for Severus to say anything else to the boy. Before he had a chance, Gregory leapt from his chair and exited the office quickly. He was very upset with the news about his father. Again, Severus hoped he would not do something he would later regret. Remembering Cordelia, Severus found himself writing a long letter to her explaining what he had just told her son. Without meaning to, possibly because he was writing to Cordelia, he let the news of Anza slip. Knowing that Cordelia would rather perform the Avada Kedavra curse on her son than reveal something her friend told her in confidence, Severus explained the entire situation. He even wrote that any day now his daughter was going to return home.

A great deal more was said in the letter. Mostly Severus wrote how much he had truly missed his friendship with the bossy Cordelia. Naturally he left out the bossy part, but her mother hen-like ways were what made her special. He found himself taking up more than two feet of parchment in his tiny scrawl. There were a lot of things that needed to be said to her. He had missed her dreadfully. There were apologies, mostly from him, that needed to be made. Cordelia had tried to be there for him time and time again after Anza 'died' and he never let her. He was responsible for letting the friendship fade away. But now… but now she needed him and he was not going to disappoint.

It was not until the morning that he caught Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle about to be cursed by Harry Potter that he received a reply from his school friend. He had just broken up the fight in the Entrance Hall, taken away points from Gryffindor, though their points were mostly gone. It was the last day of term. The news everywhere was all about the return of Voldemort. Students and teachers alike were frightened at what the prospect of a second war would bring. That was all anyone spoke about. That was exactly what Severus was discussing in hushed tones to the much-improved Minerva McGonagall when a letter arrived from him. As always it landed on his toast.

_Dear Severus,_

_You have no idea how much receiving your letter when I did meant to me. Thank you so much for encouraging words… not only for me, but for Gregory too. He owled me soon after you told him to tell me exactly what you said. Though you may not be aware of it, he looks up to you with a great deal of respect. I would hope that all of your students do the same, but Gregory certainly does. This has been, and no doubt will continue to be a difficult time for our family. First with the escape of my brothers and sister-in-law from Azkaban… and now my brothers are back in there right along with my husband. The strain that this has placed on my mother is too much. I fear she will probably not last much longer. Perhaps it is best. After Father died she has been much altered. _

_You will forgive me if I do not speak much about what has happened to Gary. The entire situation is disheartening to say the least. Sometimes I wonder how much simpler my life would have been if I had taken your advice that day in the trophy room before our Charms N.E.W.T. Or maybe simple is not what it would have been… only different somehow. I would not have Gregory, a fact that I cannot overlook, so perhaps that life would not have been as wonderful. He is a blessing to me, as all children are to their parents... but then again, you already knew that._

_I cried for a long time when I read that Anza is alive. Even though tears have been plentiful these few days, there were some extra ones shed in joy at that news. How wonderful for you. You and I have not spoken about what life was like for you after you believed she was dead. I understand why you withdrew. The past is the past… no matter how much we wish we could, we cannot change it or alter it in any way. Oh, I am so happy for you! She will be back in Britain soon and your life can return to what it should have been. If there was ever a person who deserved what happened less, that person is assuredly you. Your life and your precious daughter's life could have been so different, but again, we cannot change the past. You can only live in the present and plan for the future. _

_I would love to see you… and your daughter when she returns. Too much time has passed between us. No doubt Gregory and I could use some distraction at this point in our lives. When she arrives and you have spent the necessary time alone with her, please bring her with you to my home… or perhaps we can visit you in yours. Years have passed since I have been in the Snape Manor. It might be good to visit it under a happy occasion._

_Thank you again for all that you have done for my son in this difficult time. You may not think you have done much, but you truly have. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing_ _you again._

_Love, Cordelia_

Severus stowed the letter into the pocket of his robes. He felt his heart grow lighter at knowing that he and his best friend of old were communicating again. Losing Cordelia's friendship had been extremely difficult for him.

* * *

The school year finally ended just as the second war began. Severus readied himself for what would no doubt be a tumultuous summer holiday. He saw the students leave the Great Hall and reminded the Slytherin boys with fathers in Azkaban to keep their tempers under control. About a week and a half into the vacation he headed up the stairs to Albus Dumbledore's office for what had to have been the hundredth time since the end of term. There was a great amount of things he needed to discuss with the Headmaster.

"Ahh, Severus, there you are," said Albus, as if he had been expecting the man all along. "A letter just arrived for you. I daresay you will find it interesting."

Taking the letter with a hand he could not believe was shaking, he took the parchment from the elder wizard. When he opened it, an audible gasp escaped him.

_Dear Father,_

_I have returned to Britain with the Weasleys. They are taking me to their home in Ottery St. Catchpole. We should arrive there by nine o'clock this evening._

_Anza_


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Severus had rarely been so nervous in his life as he was that night walking up the dirt drive to the strange looking home of the large Weasley clan. This was certainly his first visit to the dwelling, a fact that he was grateful for. While he had nothing but respect for the eccentric Arthur Weasley and for Molly Weasley, a woman who had been of great comfort to him since he learned of his daughter's fake death, he found the majority of their family… well, rather odd. Bill and Percy had certainly been model students, very little about them offended him. His only complaint with Charlie was his exceptional Quidditch skills. He had often been the reason for Slytherin's demise in the Quidditch finals. His difficulty with the twins should have been obvious to anyone who had any experience with them. Too often in their final year did the twins bring parts of their "Skiving Snackboxes" down into the dungeons. Quite brilliant products, in Severus' most private thoughts, but they still caused quite a stir whenever in the potions classroom. The reason he did not like Ronald Weasley should have also been all too apparent. Simply by choosing to associate with Harry Potter marked him down in Severus' opinion. And then there was Ginny Weasley… while he always admired a young woman with fire and a streak of independence, she reminded him too much of his sister to be comfortable around her.

The Burrow, as the Weasleys called their home was certainly extraordinary. It gave off an aura of warmth and comfort that Severus had never seen in a home before. All of the manors and castles he had been in before were anything but warm and welcoming. This place truly looked like a home, a place where a large family lived together, shared their experiences together. This would have been precisely the kind of home he would have wished for as a child.

"Severus!" Molly Weasley called out from the door to the kitchen. "We have been expecting you. Come on in!"

Molly ushered him into the warm, inviting kitchen filled with Weasleys and two more of his least favorite people with faces that could be described as somewhat less than inviting. Fred and George Weasley looked as if they were preparing themselves for a particularly nasty detention. No doubt they had received plenty of those over their years at Hogwarts. Ginny Weasley had a face that bespoke at the unnaturalness of finding her potions professor standing in her kitchen. Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter simply glared at him. Only Hermione Granger seemed to have any amount of welcome in her face. She gave him a quick, half smile before turning her attention back to her mug of hot chocolate.

"Thank you, Molly," Severus said rather stiffly and formally.

"You're welcome, Severus," she beamed at him. "Arthur will be returning shortly from the office. They have been working him overtime since the return of… well, you know who."

"Indeed."

An awkward silence fell over the kitchen and its occupants. There were no available seats left at the table, a fact that rather cheered Severus. No doubt he would have been excruciatingly uncomfortable sitting so near that many Gryffindors.

"If you would rather wait outside in the garden or in the next room," Molly began, noticing the tense look on the younger wizard's face. "Then that would be perfectly all right."

He excused himself to go outside. The room had been entirely too stuffy and too full of glaring faces for him to think straight. While he was used to being loathed, especially by people from that particular House, Severus was entirely too nervous about the prospect of meeting his daughter to endure that kind of welcome for too long.

"I feel I have entered some kind of parallel universe," Ginny Weasley said, her voice carrying out the kitchen door. "Never thought I would see the day when he would be standing in my kitchen. Almost like a very bad dream."

"Why couldn't the greasy git wait somewhere else for his daughter?" came the voice that could only belong to Ronald Weasley.

Molly Weasley was obviously out of the kitchen. Severus had no hesitation that she would never have allowed her children to speak that way, especially with the object of their barbs standing just outside. The potions master did not let their speech bother him. He was quite used to coming up on certain students in the castle saying terrible things about him. It was part of the persona he had worked so hard to achieve.

"Hard to believe he has a daughter," added one of the Weasley twins; Severus could not tell which.

"Hope she does not look like her old man," the other Weasley twin said. "That would be tragic."

There were some snorts of laughter around the kitchen table. Though the words were an insult to the man, Severus himself felt quite thankful that his daughter did not look like him. His face and features were bad enough on him, a grown wizard. Putting them on a young teenage girl would have been a cruel joke for fate to play.

"Ten knuts the girl looks like a female greasy bat," Harry Potter's infernal voice said, carrying every word out to the ultra-sensitive ear of the 'greasy bat'.

"She is actually quite pretty," Hermione said quietly, the others almost not hearing her.

"What?" Ginny asked because she was the one closest to the other girl in the room.

"I saw a picture of her," Hermione explained, her voice still quite low, but not so low that Severus could not hear. "She is pretty."

"She is?" The disbelief in Ron's voice was palpable.

"Yeah, she is pretty," Hermione answered. "Not as pretty as Lavender or the Patil twins or Angelina Johnson, but you can definitely tell that one day, when she is older, she will be very beautiful."

"Hmm… never would have thought," came George Weasley's voice. (Severus had positioned himself closer to the door so he could see into the kitchen but not have the occupants aware that he could.)

"I suppose she could take after her mother," suggested Ginny.

"Why would a beautiful woman be interested in _him_?" asked Harry Potter, horrified at the idea of any woman interested in marrying his potions professor, let alone doing what needed to be done to have a child.

"Oh, honestly!" exclaimed Hermione before getting up from the table abruptly. She left the kitchen to enter the room Severus imagined was some kind of lounge.

Severus was joined out in the garden a few minutes later by Molly. In her hands she carried a beaker of freshly brewed coffee. It was dark, just like he liked it. No doubt serving him a hundred times at the Order Headquarters had given her some idea how he took his coffee.

"I would imagine that the boys will be arriving any minute now with your daughter," she said, looking up at the night sky.

Severus said nothing, only began to sip his beverage slowly.

"I must say that I am rather anxious to meet Miss Snape," Molly said, a hint of a girlish giggle in her voice. She turned to smile at the taciturn professor. "I cannot imagine what this has done to you, you poor man."

If there was one emotion that Severus despised above all others, it was pity. He said nothing to the woman. He simply turned to look away from her eyes that were slowly beginning to fill with tears.

"Sometimes fate plays the most terrible tricks on our children," she continued, her thoughts perceptibly far away.

"In this situation I do not blame fate," added Severus, surprising himself with his candor. "I blame her mother."

"Did you not love her mother?" Molly asked, unsure if he would actually respond.

"No, I did not," he replied, indeed surprising himself again that he would respond to such a personal question. "My father arranged my marriage to Marina with her uncle and guardian. We could not stand each other."

"How awful! Arranged marriages are so cold. I cannot imagine that at all. I cannot imagine being married to someone you were not completely in love with."

She smiled a half-smile at Severus. His life experiences had been so different from hers, though they had both been born purebloods. Her family had been more open in some ways. Though the Prewetts fought in the first Order of the Phoenix, there were quite a few of her other relatives that were ardent supporters of Voldemort during the first war. Molly's mother gave two sons to die working for the Order, while her sister gave three sons to die for Voldemort. Strange how life works out. Severus could not help but think that she had been given the better life. She was married to the wizard she had loved since they were in school together. They had a happy life with all of their children, despite the fact that there were hardly two sickles to rub together. He had all the money he would ever need in life, a large mansion to live in, and yet… he was unhappy. His daughter had been his only bright spot in his life until she was taken away.

"Our wizarding blood allows us time to change our lives drastically," Molly continued after a brief moment of silence between the two. "Muggles only get about eighty years, if they are lucky, to do with their life what they wish. In the time we are given, we can do just about anything we want."

"I suppose you are right."

"Someday, Severus," she said. "Someday you will find the love you have been waiting for."

"I thought I found her years ago," he whispered, again shocking himself with the information he was willingly divulging.

Molly Weasley had a way with people. She had a way of getting them to open up to her when otherwise they would not. Certainly Severus had found that to be true when he first learned that Anza was alive. Molly sat with him for hours talking to him after an Order meeting. Before he even realized what he was doing, he was telling her private thoughts he had shared with no one. He knew that she would never let slip the information shared with anyone. That fact brought him some comfort.

"What was her name?" Molly smiled at him.

"Ursula," he answered. "We were in school together. She has been dead for many years. Another victim of the damned Dark Lord."

Molly put a reassuring hand on his black-clad shoulder.

"So many of our loved ones have been lost to that fiend but we will get him. We will do everything we can to make him pay for what he has taken away from us."

Severus was surprised at her words. She had never seemed a vengeful person, only concerned with the safety of her brood. But, Severus reminded himself, she had given up a lot. Many of her family members were dead, and more threatened every day. How many times had Ron been almost killed because of something that Voldemort did? His attempts to regain his body had almost taken his life. And what about the time the diary of Tom Riddle almost took her only daughter's life? Molly Weasley was a loving woman to be sure, but she was also a woman you did not want to cross.

"When we finally defeat You Know Who, we can all live in peace for once. We can watch our children grow up and not fear for their safety… well, not fear for them as much as we would with him in our world," Molly continued. "I doubt we will ever stop worrying about our children as long as they live."

"I worried about Anza even when I thought she was dead," Severus admitted.

Molly gave him a warm smile and tiny chuckle escaped from her.

"I wondered about that," she said. "Though thankfully I have never had to experience that firsthand."

She put her hand back on his shoulder briefly. Molly Weasley appointed herself surrogate mother for all people she met that were without one. As she had claimed Harry Potter as a member of her family, she had also taken Remus Lupin and Severus Snape under her wing. She knew that they were two people who needed to feel that they were loved and appreciated. Now with Sirius' untimely death she worried about Remus. After meeting with Harry's guardians the Dursleys in King's Cross station, he headed off to Belgium. He had found happiness with Ms. Gwendolyn Wakefield. Molly fervently hoped that Gwen could help poor Remus through this difficult time.

And poor Severus… he had had to go through experiences and events in his lifetime that no person should ever have to. His daughter had been taken from him. He had spent years of his life thinking that his little girl was dead. No doubt, Molly thought, he had spent all of those years alone… never allowing anyone to help him or to simply provide him comfort. She remembered his elder brothers from her own years at school. They had all been so cold and… well, the stereotypical Slytherin. Always poking fun at Arthur for his eccentric beliefs and views about Muggles, not to mention the fact that he came from a family with hardly any money, Molly had never cared for any of the Snapes. She had been in the same year as the first Speranza Snape, but knew nothing about her. After one of the long talks he had with Severus after an Order meeting, he learned that Speranza was the closest thing to a mother he had ever had. Yes, particularly now, Molly had her watchful eyes out… careful to make certain Severus was going to be all right.

"Mum, they are here," announced Ginny, who had just emerged from the kitchen. She had apparently run to the dark garden to inform her mother and professor because her cheeks were flushed.

Molly smiled at the anxious wizard. Smoothing down the lapels of his already perfectly smooth robe, she reserved another warm smile for him.

"Well, Severus… let us go and see your daughter."

Molly took his arm, which, as it turned out was a good thing. He was exceptionally nervous. Severus had trouble walking in anticipation of whom he was going to find just inside the house. While he had dreamed of seeing his daughter again, most assuredly so in the previous six months after learning she was alive, his heart was having trouble believing that just beyond the door in the kitchen that led to the lounge was the one person he wished to see and hold more than anyone else in the world. Too many times he had been disappointed or been forced to come to terms with the fact that his daughter was dead and never coming home. He had had to reassure himself that never again would he hear her laughter. Any hope that he had had in the previous fourteen years had to be summarily quashed… now, oh, now everything was different.

"Are you all right, Severus?" Molly asked before she opened the door. The sounds of a room full of people speaking and milling about were evident within the confines of the kitchen. Though Severus' face was always pale, it was now showing evidence of trepidation and void of the tiniest amount of color it usually held.

"Just open the door, Molly," he replied, feeling certain that if she did not open it now, he would lose his nerve and never be able to enter the room at all.

All he could see once he stepped into the lounge was a sea of red hair. The room, like much of the house, was small and overcrowded. There was a great deal of excitement. Weasleys were surrounding their elder brothers asking them all sorts of questions. Harry Potter himself seemed particularly interested in how they managed such a long and perilous broomstick ride. Charlie and Bill Weasley were completely soaked through. Their clothes were saturated with moisture and their hair each dripping. Severus looked hard, but he could not see her… he could not see Anza anywhere.

But… there she was. Standing in a corner completely isolated from the cheery group was an equally soaked young woman. Her long, waist-length auburn hair that had apparently been tied back for the long journey now fell about her face in large, wild clumps. She wore dark blue robes of fine material. No doubt her one robe cost more than Arthur Weasley's entire yearly salary. But then again Marina always did insist on having the nicest clothes available. No doubt she either insisted Anza wear the same or passed on that desire to her daughter. Severus could only stand in the doorway looking at the young girl… no, young woman. It was her… he knew that. His heart filled with an incursion of emotion he had not known for years at the sight of her. He felt that he was looking at a young version of his beloved sister… but even Speranza could not have been any more beautiful to him at that moment than his Anza.

She was obviously a shy girl, he noticed. There was a swarm of activity in the room, but she did not feel a part of it. She stood quietly off to the side of the room watching with a hungry look in her eyes. Severus knew that look all too well. Taking his eyes off of her for a moment to rub them carefully, he tried to shake all of the anger he had out of his head and off of his face before… before walking over to her and speaking to her. It was apparent that her childhood had not been happy. Marina had taken away the happy childhood that Severus worked so hard to give his daughter. Damn her.

"Oh, isn't she a pretty, little thing?" Molly cooed from somewhere to the left of Severus.

He looked up at his daughter once more. She was no longer alone. Miss Granger had taken it upon herself to welcome the frightened and painfully bashful girl to the room. How grateful he felt for Miss Granger at that moment. Anza seemed to light up at the attention given to her.

"Hermione, Miss Snape," called Molly. The mother hen of them all waved the two girls over to where she was standing with the tense professor.

Anza and Severus met eyes for the first time in many years at that moment. They looked into each other's identical eyes for a long moment without saying anything. Neither of them quite knew what to say to the other. What can you say to someone you have not seen in fourteen years? What could Severus possibly have to say to the young woman standing before him that he did not know? What could Anza possibly have to say to the man, her father, whom she could not even remember? She had only been two and a half when she was kidnapped, and no doubt, Marina did all she could to make her daughter forget her father. If it had not been for Molly Weasley, the two relatives may have stood there indefinitely simply looking at each other and not knowing what to say.

"Welcome back to Britain, Anza," Molly said, smiling at the young girl.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," she said in an accent that revealed she had lived in many places throughout her short life. Her English was perfect. Though she did have a British accent, one very similar to her father's, there were hints of a life spent speaking a great deal of Russian in her voice as well. "I am very grateful to you for allowing your sons to help me arrive. It was a dangerous journey that I have no doubt I would not have finished if they had not been there for me."

"She is too modest, Mum," Charlie said, hearing their conversation now that the room had gone quite silent. "Anza can certainly take care of herself on a broomstick. I was impressed."

Anza looked immediately down at her feet, red streaks rising up her neck. She blushed in a very similar way to her father.

"That might be true," added Bill. "But you might want to stay off of one for awhile now, Anza. That spill you took into the ocean scared me half to death."

He winked at the girl who had begun to smile at his words.

"You let her fall into the ocean!" demanded Molly.

"We did not let her do anything," Charlie tried to defend himself.

"What happened?" Severus addressed his daughter quietly. They had not spoken with words until that moment.

"I was flying too quickly," Anza admitted, her eyes boring a hole into the carpet. "A gust of wind unseated me from my broom."

"That explains why you all are so wet!" exclaimed a horrified Mrs. Weasley.

She began to fuss about Anza and her two sons. Taking her wand from her pocket she tried unsuccessfully to dry Anza's robes. The girl was too wet.

"You will need to change quickly or I fear you will get sick." Molly glared at her two eldest. "Letting the poor girl fall into the ocean… _tsk tsk_."

"If you will allow me to look in your kitchen, Molly, I may be able to brew up a quick potion to stave off any sickness," suggested Severus, who was feeling more and more like a bloody tiger in a zoo. Every member of that family plus two more were staring at him, waiting to see how he would interact with his daughter. This was certainly not the way he anticipated the reunion going.

He took another look at his daughter, who looked as equally nervous and uncomfortable as he, before entering the kitchen. There were murmurs to be sure, but he heard none of them. Putting himself quickly to work, he found all of the necessary ingredients required for a very simple potion.

"To be honest I did not expect meeting you this way," a quiet voice came from behind Severus in the kitchen. He had been stooped over a bubbling cauldron for several minutes alone in the room.

Anza had returned… this time alone. Molly had insisted that she change into dry robes. Dressed in a set of simple light blue robes, that again cost a small fortune, Anza looked to be completely dry. Her hair was pulled back in a long plait. She seemed exceptionally nervous to be around this man. Years earlier she would have gladly and without thought jumped into his arms and buried her head under his neck. She would have hidden her face behind his yards and yards of voluminous robe material. Now… now a great deal had changed. She did not move closer to her father, only sat at the empty kitchen table a good ten feet from him.

"This was not how I expected your return to be as well," he admitted, turning around to look his almost grown daughter in the eyes. Tears had begun to fill them, but with her willpower she prevented them from dropping onto her cheeks.

"I have been dreaming about you all of my life," Anza admitted, turning her eyes away. She suddenly found herself very interested in a knot in the table. "For years I thought you were not real… just some figment of my imagination until…"

"Until what?" He asked, his voice quite calm and soothing. Though years had passed he found himself instinctively returning to the man he had been… her father.

"Until I found a picture of you amongst some of Mother's things. I asked her who you were and … and she told me that you were my father."

Severus had no doubt that that was not where Marina chose to end her discussion with her daughter, but Anza said nothing more on the subject. They were soon joined by an equally dry Charlie Weasley. Clutched under his arm was a large, overweight and apparently quite unhappy cat. The animal was larger than the average housecat, though that could have simply been its weight. It had an entirely gray coat and quite a distinctive scowl on its face.

"Basmus apparently did not like the trip," joked Charlie, as he dropped the cat into Anza's lap. "No doubt being tied to the back of Bill's broom dangling in a cage did not make the trip too enjoyable."

They both laughed at that. Basmus, as the cat was called, curled into Anza's lap but not before giving her a dirty look that would have not been out of place on the Potion Masters own face.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Professor?" Charlie asked, moving closer to the fire and to Severus.

"No, thank you, Mr. Weasley. You have done quite enough already," Severus replied with absolute conviction. "Thank you very much for bringing Anza back safely."

Severus held out his hand to shake the calloused hand of Charlie Weasley. Charlie gave him a smile, and returned to sit at the table with Anza. Severus had not really thought about what kind of relationship the two of them had. For months they had been pretending to be dating. Were they in actuality? He found himself suddenly feeling very protective of his young daughter. A Weasley was certainly not good enough for her. Who was good enough for her? Well… he had not met him yet.

"Glad to be out of Belgium, Basmus?" Charlie asked the glowering cat. He scratched the top of his head, but that only made the cat more agitated.

"I am not sure about him, but I certainly am," admitted Anza, obviously very comfortable around this young man. "Dreadful place."

"Not sure about the rest of the country, but that place you lived in sure was dodgy." Charlie agreed.

"Dodgy?" Severus asked, trying not to make it seem that he was too interested in the subject.

"Quite," the dragon tamer answered. "Only three decent people in that entire settlement and Anza was one of them."

"What was wrong with it?" Severus did not like the idea of his daughter growing up in what was it? A _dodgy_ place?

"Full of all kinds of people I would never invite over for tea if you know what I mean. Why I must have seen at least ten hags in my first day. Dreadfully dark place too."

"Dark?" He was really not liking the sound of the place but knowing Marina as he did, the darker the place the better.

"Oh, yeah," Charlie continued. "Lots of magical folk hiding there. I reckon I must have had drinks with four or five wizards wanted in Britain for any number of crimes. It seems the place that the seedy ones go to hide."

That description fit any place Marina Velousova chose to reside perfectly. If one wanted to hide herself and her kidnapped daughter, what better place than among a bunch of fugitive criminals?

"Always made me wonder what Gwen was doing there, to be honest," Charlie said. "She and her son were the only other decent people I met."

"Why were they in the settlement?" Severus asked. He himself had wondered what a woman he apparently knew from his past and who willingly helped him find his daughter was doing in a place like that.

"Gwen had to leave Britain years ago," Anza explained in a hushed tone. "She never spoke of the reason, but it must have been bad. She has never returned even when Remus has begged her."

"Remus?"

"Of course you know him, Father," she said, astonishing both herself and Severus with the use of that term. He had not heard her say it in years. It did his heart good to hear it again.

"Are Remus and Gwen…?" He did not quite know how to word his question, but lucky for him he did not have to.

"For as long as Sean can remember," she answered.

"Is Sean Remus' son?" Severus asked, surprising himself again with the amount of questions he was asking about Remus Lupin's private life.

"Sean thinks he is, but he is not certain. Gwen has never said so."

Anza ended the discussion right there. If she had not, Severus certainly would have. He already felt that he had stepped over an invisible line. Remus would no doubt be displeased to know that his personal affairs were being spoken about so candidly.

The whistling of the cauldron announced to Severus that the potion was done. Ladling out a portion for both Anza and Charlie and then again for Bill who arrived a few minutes later, all three began to feel more like themselves. A cross ocean journey, even one as short as the one they had to do, was always difficult. Even in the middle of the summer the night air was cold above the clouds.

"It is so wonderful to have you back in Britain," Molly Weasley beamed at Anza. The young witch seemed to take great delight in the attention given her by the matron. Undoubtedly the girl had received very little of that kind of consideration during her lifetime with her mother.

Molly brewed strong cups of tea for everyone in the kitchen. The other Weasleys and Potter and Granger had been sent away. Only the two eldest Weasleys, their mother and the two Snapes remained in the kitchen.

"Were there any complications to Remus' plan?" Molly asked Charlie when they were all seated comfortably at the table sipping their steaming mugs of tea.

"Not a one," Charlie replied. "Remus was a genius. The plan worked spectacularly." Severus could not help but notice the wink Charlie directed in Anza's direction, and her subsequent blush and chuckle.

"Will you be staying in Britain long?" Molly asked, her hope that he would say yes written all over her face.

"Planning on it," he said between sips of his tea. "It looks like I am needed here more than I am in Romania. My supervisor has been trying to pull some strings to get me a desk job in the Ministry."

"A desk job?" Molly seemed excited by this prospect. It was no secret that she hated that her son worked so closely with dangerous animals. A safe job within the Ministry walls was just what she wished for her son.

"I should know within the week," Charlie announced. "Thought it would be best that I stay close, especially considering what has been going on in here lately."

"The Order could certainly use all the help we can get," Bill replied.

Both Molly and Severus tried to shush Bill about the Order. He had forgotten that Anza was still in the room, but their actions were unnecessary. Wearied from her long journey, Anza's head had fallen onto the tabletop. She was quietly sleeping amidst their conversation.

"Oh, dear, we should not have kept you two here so long," Molly said, moving Anza's spilled mug of tea away from her head. "She can stay here for the night, Severus, if you wish. It seems awfully silly to have her travel back to Hogwarts now. There is an extra bed in Ginny's room."

"Well…" Severus was hesitant to say yes. He knew his daughter was exhausted from her trip, but he was not quite ready to leave her. Certainly he had not expected to leave her at the Burrow even for a night. "I suppose that would be fine."

"We could set you up a bed in Percy's room," she suggested, her eyes filling with tears at the mention of her third son.

The thought of spending the night in the Burrow himself was not an appealing one. No, there were quite a few things he would rather do then stay there. If Anza was going to come back to Hogwarts the next day there were some preparations that needed to be made. He also needed to get his family manor ready for living. Too long had Sidonius, Veda and young Dermot lived in a crowded London flat. Now, now more than ever he wished to have the Snape manor become a home. His daughter was home, and she needed to have a family home, not a room in the dungeons of the school.

"Thank you, but there are a few tasks I need to complete," he said carefully so as not to insult Molly. "I will return in the morning."

She smiled at him warmly.

"Oh, dear, you boys help Anza up to bed," Molly ordered about her eldest sons. "She is staying in Ginny's room."

"I'll take her," offered Charlie, expertly picking up the sleeping Anza.

Severus found himself uncomfortable at the familiarity he witnessed between his daughter and Mr. Weasley, but he said nothing. It was apparent that they had gone through a lot together and had become very close. Naturally suspicious of anyone interested in his daughter, as most men with teenage daughters are apt to be, Severus felt anxious to do something. But as he watched Charlie Weasley gently carry his daughter up the stairs, he knew that if there was one person he could trust to keep his daughter safe it would that redheaded dragon worker. Had he not already proven himself willing to do whatever it took to make sure that Anza was protected?

"If you will excuse me," Severus began. "I will return in the morning."

"Good night, Severus." Both Molly and Bill wished him a good evening as he exited the door.

This had been a strange night for Severus to be sure. Nothing had gone like he had planned. In his mind the moment his daughter saw him she was going to run into his arms like she had as a child. The Anza currently sleeping in the Burrow was not the Anza he knew so many years earlier. She had grown up into a stranger who did not even remember her father. It hurt, to be perfectly honest, to know that she had no real memories of him, only dreams that she had had. She had been very young when she left, he had to remind himself. It was not her fault that any of this happened. It was all Marina's.

As he Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts and began the long walk to the castle, his mind continued to wander. His dreams of a reunion with his daughter had been very different. That night, that short conversation he had with her in the Burrow had not been enough for him. He only hoped that as time went on they would be close again. He missed her… he had not realized how much until he saw her standing in the Weasley's lounge for the first time. Severus had almost been unable to breathe at the relief of seeing her face once again.

"Good evening, Severus," Albus Dumbledore greeted the moment Severus opened the door to the Entrance Hall.

"Good evening, Albus," he replied, his mind elsewhere.

"Molly owled me to inform me of Miss Anza's arrival." His eyes were twinkling. Albus had been almost has happy as Severus to hear the news that Anza was not dead as it had been feared for years.

"Yes… she did."

"How was the reunion?" Albus asked, though by looking at Severus' face he could tell that it was not what he had hoped it would be.

"Awkward… to say the least. It did not turn out as I hoped."

"Give her time, Severus," urged the Headmaster. "Imagine how difficult this has been for her. You already know how difficult this situation has been for you, but think about her. She will need time to adjust, to become more comfortable around you."

Of course the Headmaster was correct.

"If you will excuse me, Albus, but I have an early morning."

"Certainly… Good night, Severus."

He rushed to the sanctuary of the dungeons as quickly as he could. That was one place where he was free to think and be himself. His mind always felt clearer when he was there. Pushing open the door to his chambers he was shocked by what he found.

Every single piece of furniture had been repaired or replaced. Everything looked brand new… like the day he first moved in. There was a large fire roaring in the fireplace. In his bedroom the armoire that had covered the entrance to Anza's old room had been moved and placed back in its original spot. Long years had passed since he had entered that room. When he returned to the castle after Anza's 'death' he sealed the room shut. Now… well, now it had obviously been opened.

With a shaking hand he pushed the door to Anza's room open. He expected it to be just like it had been when she was a child, but was shocked to find it otherwise. Instead of a forest getaway it was a simple, yet elegantly appointed room. Her bed was larger and covered in a silky lavender bedcover. There was new furniture. All of the old reminders of her childhood were gone with one noticeable exception. An old bear that Anza used to take with her everywhere was lying in a large armchair by a fireplace. Her bookshelves were filled with books… most of them he noticed involved Divination. Hmm… interesting, he thought. The subject itself was not interesting to him in the least, but the fact that it obviously interested his daughter was what was interesting. Her robes were already neatly packed inside the wardrobe. No doubt Molly had sent ahead all of Anza's belongings. As Albus had done the first time he transfigured the room for his daughter, Severus found something to amuse him. In the floor next to Anza's bed was a small, cat-sized bed. 'Basmus' was embroidered on it. How Albus always managed to know, Severus would never find out.

He took one last look at his daughter's room before heading to his own. This had been a long night, full of a lot of activity. Severus desperately needed his sleep.

* * *

The next morning found Severus walking up the driveway to the Weasley's home for the second time in his life. Somehow it looked a lot different in the morning sun than it had the evening before. Just as he expected the home was a flurry of activity. Molly welcomed him and waved him into the kitchen door.

"Since there are so many of us we have to eat out in the garden," she explained before showing him the way.

The entire Weasley clan plus three were seated around the magically enlarged kitchen table in the garden. Arthur Weasley was speaking animatedly to his son Charlie about all manner of things Severus had no interest in. Fred and George were speaking in hushed tones to their eldest brother Bill, a fact that should have made everyone present worried. Ginny and Hermione were engaged in a giggly conversation with Anza. No doubt sharing a room the previous night had bonded the three girls. Harry Potter and Ron were at the opposite end of the table from Anza, whispering to each other and giving her harsh looks. No doubt either one of them were ready to trust anyone who had the last name of Snape.

"Ahh, Severus!" Arthur stood up from his seat at the head of the table. "Would you care to join us for breakfast?"

"Thank you, Arthur, but I have just finished breakfast at Hogwarts," he declined, noticing the glares that had been directed towards his daughter were now directed towards him.

"Why don't you come sit inside the kitchen with me, Severus?" Molly suggested. "I have a few things I would like to speak to you about."

There was really nothing of importance that Molly had to speak to Severus about. She was simply looking for a way to make the situation less awkward for him. They sat in the kitchen sipping tea and chatting amiably about all manner of things that were not important. One by one the Weasley clan and their guests finished breakfast. Finally it was only Charlie and Anza left sitting out in the garden eating. When they were done, they brought their breakfast dishes into the kitchen.

"I suppose I should go gather my things," Anza said, when she was aware of why Severus was there. And again Charlie offered to help her, a fact that did not go unnoticed by either Severus or Molly.

"He cares a great deal for her," Molly announced, as they watched the two of them disappear up the stairs. "But he knows that right now he is too old for her."

Severus' suspicions had been confirmed. He had a fear when he heard Remus' plan that something like that might happen… that actual feelings would develop.

"Charlie and I spoke for a long time last night after you left," Molly continued. "He promised me that nothing would happen between the two of them until after she leaves Hogwarts."

Severus silently continued to drink his tea.

"He naturally wanted you to be aware that he has only the best intentions and that he would never step on your feet."

Life and its worries had certainly changed for Severus. How strange for him to find himself concerned by whom his teenage daughter was interested in.

"I thought that it was important that you were aware," she said. "If you were not already aware."

"I had a suspicion," he replied.

"Charlie would never do anything to hurt your daughter, Severus. I hope you know that."

"Yes, I think I do."

Twenty minutes later Anza began her goodbyes. She dutifully thanked Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for allowing her to stay the night. Molly, always one to adopt anyone she felt needed a mother, hugged her warmly. Fred and George handed her what was undoubtedly their catalogue before apparating off to their Diagon Alley shop. Ginny and Hermione said that they looked forward to seeing her at school and told her that if she got bored to owl them. Ron and Harry said nothing to her, only continued to glare at her and whisper to each other. They were not trusting fellows. Bill hugged her goodbye telling her to be careful on her broomstick. He was unlikely to forget having to drag her out of the sea.

Charlie seemed the least reluctant to say good-bye. On purpose she left him for the last. Everyone had already gone back to resuming their daily routine while she quietly spoke with him. Severus could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation.

"Thank you for everything, Charlie," she said to him softly. "If it hadn't been for you… I'd still be back there with that woman."

"Shh," Charlie said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You never have to go back to her again, I promise. Even if I have to chase her halfway around the world and drag you away from her, I will. But I don't think it will come to that… your father is not going to let that happen to you again. He will take extremely good care of you."

"Yeah, I know," she conceded. "I just…"

"Look, I know you are frightened, but there is no need. Neither your father nor Professor Dumbledore nor I will let anything happen to you." He brushed away a frightened tear from her face. "You need to go now, Anza. You and your father have a lot of time to make up for. Owl me as often as you want."

He pulled her into an intimate embrace. Severus looked away out of respect for their privacy and because he felt himself uncomfortable at the display. A few minutes later Severus was walking down the driveway with his daughter, Basmus clutched tightly under her arm.

"How are we getting to Hogwarts?" She asked once the Burrow was no longer in her line of sight.

"Dumbledore has authorized a portkey to take us to the grounds."

"Oh," she replied. "I hate portkeys."

Severus chuckled. He hated them as well.

"Yes, nothing quite as awful as that feeling when you touch one," he agreed.

They were walking into the Entrance Hall of the castle not five minutes later. Albus Dumbledore was waiting for them, looking anxious to see the older Miss Snape. Her death, especially when he saw the tiny body taken out of the wreckage of the cottage in France, had been quite difficult on him.

"Welcome back, Miss Snape," Albus said, giving her a warm smile.

"I… whoa, I thought," Anza could hardly find the words to say what she was trying to. She finally let out a nervous giggle. "Forgive me, Professor Dumbledore but I had always imagined that you were a figment of my imagination. You have been a frequent visitor to my dreams."

He smiled at her once more.

"I will see you around the castle, Miss Anza," Dumbledore said. "No doubt we have a lot of catching up to do."

Severus led his daughter down into the dungeons.

"I remember this," Anza announced as they walked down the corridor. "It is a little fuzzy, but I remember this."

She was able to find the cloaked door with no help at all from her father. Touching the door in the correct place, it swung open for her. She was beyond amazed at the suite of rooms on the other side. It took her no time at all to find her old bedroom. When all of her things were in her room, Basmus sleeping peacefully on his bed, she joined her father in the sitting area.

"Thank you for all that you have done for me," she said, after a long few minutes of silence. "But it was unnecessary for you to have prepared a room for me in the castle."

"Excuse me?" Severus was unsure what it was that his daughter was trying to say.

"When I left Belgium, I took a substantial amount of gold from my mother's bank account," she admitted without shame. "I felt entitled to it. After years living with that woman, there is not enough gold in the world to wipe those memories away. I will stay here for today, but tomorrow I will find a place in Hogsmeade to reside until the school term begins."

"What?"

"I do not wish to be an inconvenience to you in any way, Father."

He was thoroughly confused with her behavior.

"I assure you that having my daughter return is not an _inconvenience _to me in any way."

Tears began to silently roll down her cheeks.

"You did not want a daughter," she said, shocking her father immensely. "No doubt your feelings have not changed as to that matter. Now I appreciate you helping to bring me back…"

"Wait, just one moment!" He voice rose despite his wish to remain calm. "What makes you think that I do not want a daughter?"

"Mother always told me that you had never wanted to be a father… that you were so concerned with your potions that you never had any time. That is why she said she took me away from you."

Severus felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. That was what Marina had said to his daughter? To his precious Anza? He would kill her if he ever laid eyes on her again.

"Speranza, I love you," he said quietly, but his words had immense power. "I have loved you from the moment I saw you. When your mother took you away from me, I followed you all over Europe. I watched you 'die' in an explosion and it nearly broke me. These fourteen years I have never stopped thinking of you… never stopped wishing that one day I would see you again, one day be able to look into your eyes and hold you."

"You… you really want me?" Her eyes were red and overflowing with tears.

"With everything that I am."

Anza ran to her father and threw her arms around him. Through choking sobs she told him how she had missed him, never stopped dreaming that one day she would return to her father. He held her close to him, his own tears falling down his cheeks. It felt so wonderful to have his daughter back in his arms. This felt so natural.

This was exactly the reunion he had hoped and wished for.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"It is rather gloomy, is it not?" Anza looked up at the dark Snape Manor with a gaze that could only be described as disgusted.

"Just a bit," Severus agreed, his own nose turned up at the mansion.

At least ten years had gone by since Severus had last stood in front of or for that matter, anywhere near his childhood home. His mother's funeral was the last time he chose to darken the doorway. What a dismal event that had been as well. The home had been in his possession for seven years, since the day Sterne and his family were killed. Of all the places in the world to visit, Severus had never wanted to come back to this horrid one. Terrible memories loomed out of every cold, murky corner. The worst days of his life, pre-Anza's supposed death, had happened in this manor. Basmus hissed to show his displeasure at the dwelling.

"I am sure all it needs is maybe some… paint?" Anza laughed to herself, secretly knowing that paint was hardly going to do. Severus found himself amused at her comment as well. The manor needed more than just a fresh coat of paint to change its feeling and presence.

Severus and Anza were standing on the well-manicured front lawn of the Snape Manor. It was apparent that the house elves had continued to keep the place in good condition while its master was living elsewhere. The two had stopped to stare up at the old, grand manor. Before they noticed anything, the front door swung open.

"Severus?" The voice called. It was one that Anza knew to be familiar, but certainly not one she could recall off hand. "And… oh, my god, Anza?"

Sidonius rushed to his newly arrived niece. She did not even have a chance to move out of the way before she was engulfed in a warm, albeit teary embrace.

"Oh, honestly, Sid!" exclaimed Veda who had just exited the front door after her husband. "Let the poor girl breathe!"

"Sidonius?" Anza asked her uncle.

He gave her his crooked smile before embracing her again.

"It does my heart good to see you again, Anza," he said, tears forming in his eyes once more. "You cannot possibly understand."

Sidonius stepped back to take a look at his almost full-grown niece. Veda quickly pushed her husband out of the way. She looked at Anza with the same look Sidonius gave her before embracing her in the same way. Severus had shown pictures to Anza of his family… or their family, rather. She had been excited to know about her aunt, uncle and young cousin. It was obvious that she had not had much of a family growing up.

"Oh, forgive me, Anza," Veda said, releasing the girl from her embrace to wipe tears from her eyes. "I am not usually so emotional."

Anza smiled warmly at her aunt. Immediately she knew she was going to like this woman. They were kindred spirits, to be certain.

"I cannot thank you enough for what you are doing for my family," Sidonius said, taking his elder brother's hand firmly in his to shake. "How Veda and I were going to raise children in that tiny flat we did not know."

"There is more than enough room for your family to live here, Sid," Severus assured his younger brother. "It might be nice to have children running throughout the corridors and laughter."

Since his visit to the Burrow a week earlier, Severus had all kinds of dreams and fantasies of the kind of home he wanted to provide for his daughter. Hogwarts was nice enough, but why should he let a large mansion go to waste when he could share it with his younger brother's family who had fallen on hard times? Severus longed to create a warm, inviting home just like the Weasleys had. Snape Manor was no Burrow, but he felt certain that given the right amount of time and the right people living under the roof, it could very well become a warm home.

"It will certainly be some time before Dermot is old enough to run through the corridors," laughed Sidonius. "But I am certain laughter will not be hard to come by."

The two brothers stared up at the chilly mansion that had been their childhood home. Though their experiences with their parents had been decidedly different from one another, both had experienced the mansion's fury.

"It feels very odd to be back," Sidonius admitted. "To be honest I never expected to return. And certainly not with Veda and our son." He added with a bitter laugh.

"Thank you for returning," Severus said quietly to his younger brother. He knew whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not that he needed his brother to help turn this dreary manor into a home. Sidonius had the vitality that family needed. Veda was by far the most intelligent witch Severus had ever met. Hell, she was by far one of the most intelligent of anyone he had ever met. He needed her insight, her wisdom, but mostly her femininity to guide him. Severus had no clue how to raise a teenage daughter. He needed Veda. And Dermot… the home needed fresh blood, fresh innocence. His cries and his laughter would banish the negativity that plagued the home, of that Severus was certain. The mansion needed a child within its walls.

"We will make this a home that we can be proud of," Sidonius said, clapping his brother on the back.

With those words of promise, the four older members of the newly reformed Snape clan entered the manor together. They were going to not only clean out the cobwebs that haunted each darkened corner, but clear out the horrible memories of old.

* * *

"Finally this place is livable," Anza exclaimed, sitting down in a large armchair in the family's library. Severus had been cataloguing the contents of the room, disposing of tomes that were out of date or otherwise undesirable.

The Snape family with their half a dozen house elves had been cleaning up the manor for the better part of a week. Severus and Sidonius had the ultra unpleasant task of deciding what family memorabilia they wished to keep within the home. Both wished to throw out everything that reminded them in the least of their father, but it was surprisingly Veda who urged them to keep his belongings.

"You do not have to display his medals or his things around the house," she explained. "Hide them in the attic or that dreadful basement for all I care, but he was your father. As much as you might wish to forget that fact, you cannot."

Veda had an unusual view of their father. Because of his decision that she was not a suitable wife for his youngest son, Sidonius had been kicked out of the family, blasted off the family tree and exiled. She had every right to hate Lord Snape, but she chose not to. Realizing that he came from an antiquated world that was quickly losing its grip, she did not fault the man, only the practices. Severus found himself admiring Veda more and more every day.

"You are going to fix the family tree, aren't you?" Anza asked her father.

"What?" He had his mind on the large collection of books in the family library.

"Sidonius has been burnt off. Veda and Dermot are not even on it… that _woman _is still on it," she explained, a tone of disgust evident. "And it still says I am dead."

"Oh," Severus' mind was elsewhere, but he was hearing what his daughter was saying. "Can't Sidonius or Veda fix it?"

"No, it can only be altered by the head of the family. They both already tried."

He placated his daughter with assurance that he would fix the family tree as soon as he had a free moment. The library was extensive; the cataloguing took up much of his time.

"Do you need any help in here?" Anza asked, noticing the tired look in her father's eyes.

"I... uhh, well, if you wish."

She immediately went to work on a stack of dusty books near her father.

"These books look a little… _dark_," Anza said as she began to look through them.

"Most of them are fairly dark," Severus replied. "Your grandfather and great-grandfather studied the Dark Arts extensively. They always felt it was a shame that Hogwarts only taught Defense Against the Dark Arts. No doubt they wished their children to learn them as well."

"Sounds a lot like my mother," she added, moving on to another stack of books that looked ominous. "She was always angry to hear that Gwen, or I guess in this instance I should say Professor Wakefield, only taught defense and not actual usage."

"You must be certainly aware that your mother comes from a long line of very dark witches and wizards."

Anza sighed. It was obvious that she already knew.

"What subjects did you study at school?" Severus asked, remembering the extensive number of Divination volumes he found in Anza's room, not to mention the crystal ball and scrying mirror he helped her unpack.

"It was a very small school, so we did not have nearly as many classes as Hogwarts offers," she explained. "But I studied Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Wakefield… Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Arithmancy and of course, History of Magic."

"What about Divination?" She had not mentioned what was obvious to be her favorite subject. "I noticed you had quite a few books about the subject."

"Divination was not offered at my school, but there was a witch who lived across the street from me that thought I showed great promise. She herself was a true Seer, not like the ones you often come into contact with. A couple of afternoons a week after school she taught me how to read tea leaves, crystal balls, and all manner of other things related to the subject."

"Is this something that greatly interests you?" Severus himself had never had much use for the subject. Interested in it in the beginning, he took one term of Divination his third year, but left soon after. Reading star charts and palms were not intriguing to him. He much preferred the hissing of a bubbling cauldron or the characteristics of an exotic animal.

"Oh, yes. After Madam Melka heard from Gwen about some of the dreams I have, she said that it sounded like I had the gift."

"The gift?"

"She thinks I am a Seer," laughed Anza. She apparently did not feel the same way as her Divination teacher. "I told her I just had overactive dreams, but that if she wished to teach me, I would love to learn from her."

Several minutes passed between the two in silence as they shuffled through the old contents of the Snape family library. Severus' father had never thrown anything away, even when the theories had been proven false. Finding useless books full of information decades out of date was not unusual.

"A letter just arrived for you, Severus." Veda entered the room with her hands full of her son, but still able to hand over a piece of parchment.

"Thank you."

_Dear Severus,_

_Gregory and I would like to invite you and your daughter to have tea with us tomorrow at four. Please respond if you are unable to attend. We have been living in my family's manor for a few years now. I look forward to seeing you and Anza again._

_Cordelia_

* * *

The Lestrange Castle was only a short twenty minute broomstick ride away from the Snape Manor. Certain that a short distance on broomstick was not a problem for his daughter after her journey from Belgium to Britain, the next afternoon found the two Snapes riding towards Cordelia's home. She had moved back into her family manor years earlier when her two elder brothers were sent off to Azkaban for the first time. She had been a great comfort to her mother during that time.

"So Mrs. Goyle is your friend from school?" Anza asked casually in the middle of their flight.

"We were in the same House together, yes," he answered, still not entirely comfortable conversing freely with his daughter. This was something he assumed would take time to become accustomed to. "Cordelia was a good friend of mine for many years. Following your… er, your confiscation and fake death, I lost touch with her."

"Oh," Anza grew silent after that.

They passed a few more minutes without saying a word to each other. Anza's mind was far away, thinking about something serious.

"Did I cause a lot of problems for you when I left?" she asked quietly.

Severus turned to look her in the eyes.

"You caused no problems," he answered. "Nothing that happened was your fault."

"Did my mother… did _Marina_ cause a lot of problems?" Anza was not willing to let the subject end.

"Do not let what your mother did in the past upset you," he urged the young girl. "You are not responsible for anything."

"You changed after I left, didn't you?"

How was Severus supposed to honestly answer his daughter's question? How could he honestly admit to be completely changed after she left? No doubt Anza would think herself guilty for her father's transformation. He had changed because of her absence, but he did wish her to feel at fault about it.

"Yes, I did," he reluctantly and tersely replied.

"I am very sorry."

"Again, Anza, it was not your fault."

"If I ever see my mother again…"

What Anza was thinking was not immediately known to Severus. They had arrived just outside of the elegant, immense Lestrange Castle. Lowering themselves down onto the front lawn of the castle, Severus was surprised to find Cordelia waiting outside for them.

The years had been kind to Cordelia, Severus was pleased to see. Though she certainly did not have the figure she had in school, she still carried herself with the same amount of elegance and sophistication that she always had. No doubt Gary's top-secret work he did for Lucius Malfoy had been successful. Cordelia had the air of the kind of witch Severus always feared she would become, a stylish, society woman relegated to the background as a wife and mother. She was an extraordinarily intelligent woman and Severus was afraid she was letting her assets go to waste sitting in the middle of a mansion.

"Severus!" Cordelia greeted her old friend and embraced him warmly. "Welcome."

She looked up to see Anza, dressed in simple, but tastefully elegant light green robes, her hair down, and smiled. Though Severus was unaware of the extent to which the loss of Anza affected his friend, Cordelia's heart had broken for her friend. How tragic that something of that magnitude happened to one she cared about. The moment she heard Severus' news she sobbed with joy. And now that Anza was standing in front of her… the emotions all came back. With a tearful face, she put her arm around the young witch.

"It is wonderful to have you back with us, Anza," she said, squeezing the girl's shoulder gently. "My son Gregory is waiting for us just inside."

Cordelia did not take her arm off on Anza's shoulder. Unconsciously she feared that by letting go Anza would be taken away again. The thought of Severus having to go through that kind of loss again was intolerable. Ever the hostess, Cordelia led her guests into a well-appointed library. A table for four had been set; Gregory sitting uncomfortably in freshly starched robes. At the entrance of his mother and guests, he politely rose from his seat.

"Welcome, Professor Snape, Miss Snape," he said formally, undoubtedly on the previous orders of his mother.

Gregory held the chair out for Anza. She smiled at the nervous and obviously uncomfortable boy, but that act did nothing to calm him. He almost slammed her into the table pushing her chair back in. Severus held out Cordelia's chair for her. When the two ladies were seated, Gregory and Severus took their own places at the table.

"Thank you for having us in your lovely home, Mrs. Goyle," Anza said expertly.

Cordelia was smitten with Anza from that moment. She was a charming girl around adults, Severus noted, but painfully shy around those her own age. Anza and Gregory, whom Cordelia clearly thought would have loads to talk about during the tea, both sat at the table quietly listening to their respective parents talk.

"When did Anza arrive?" Cordelia asked her old school friend as she carefully poured tea for all of the assembled group.

"A little over two weeks ago," he answered between sips from his own cup of tea.

"I heard from Moireach Bulstrode last week that you have moved back into the family home."

Millicent Bulstrode and her family, including the prying Moireach, her mother, lived only a short distance from Snape Manor. Already the Bulstrodes had come to call on their neighbors. Millicent was another of the children that Anza used to play with frequently, but neither of the girls could remember each other. Too many years had passed. No doubt if Moireach knew about Anza and the return of the Head of the Snape clan to their family home, every other member of their sect of society would know within a week. Cordelia Goyle just happened to usually be first on Moireach's list of people to tell interesting bits of gossip to.

"Yes, and my brother Sidonius and his family have come to live with us as well."

The disownment of Sidonius Snape had been a rather public affair. Everyone in their society knew the sordid details of the beloved Snape son marrying a dreadful Muggle born witch. Severus was not ashamed of his brother's wife, though he was not completely unaware that her residence within the manor and her official acceptance by the family would create difficulties in the future… especially in a world shadowed by the return of Lord Voldemort.

"I always did like Sidonius," Cordelia added, not continuing the discussion even further despite her wish to do just that. "How have you found your homeland since returning, Anza?"

"Yes, thank you, it has been lovely," Anza smiled warmly at the older witch. "Though I am afraid that I do not remember it very well. I was so young when I left."

There was an uncomfortable silence amongst the group.

"But I do think I remember you, Mrs, Goyle and you as well, Gregory," she added, making Cordelia smile and Gregory blush. "There are parts of my past that come back to me in my dreams."

"Ooh, how very interesting. Are you interested in studying dreams then, Anza?" Cordelia had been top in her year in Divination. She had loved it, one of the very few Slytherins to actually take the class.

"I have studied them, though I am afraid my interpretations are terrible. My friend Sean was excellent at it. Any time I had a particularly interesting dream I just told him about it. Usually he was right on the mark."

Conversation among the tea drinkers was staggered at best. The situation was indeed quite awkward. Gregory and Anza did not remember their friendship from their toddler years, but that was to be expected by everyone save for Cordelia. There was a great deal that both Severus and Cordelia wanted to speak with each other, but neither felt it appropriate with their children around. When they had finished their tea and sandwiches, Cordelia rose from the table. The other three at the table followed her lead.

"Gregory, why don't you take Miss Anza outside into the gardens and show her the hedge maze?" Cordelia suggested. "She will be attending Hogwarts with you in the fall. It would be very nice of you to renew your friendship before then."

Cordelia had always been one to push people together, to try to force friendships. How many times in their seven years at Hogwarts had she tried to make two people become best friends? Or worse, lovers? She had not learned to keep her affairs to herself, but perhaps that was something that would never change about her. Gregory led the way out into the gardens halfhearted, with Anza reluctantly following. Cordelia led her own guest over to the sofas away from the table.

"How are you, honestly, Severus?" she asked concerned about his welfare, while she was the one who had just lost her husband to prison only a few weeks earlier.

"Better than I expected," he replied.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I do not know how to be a father to a teenage girl. This situation has been very awkward to say the least."

Cordelia smiled warmly at her friend.

"You just need a little more time, I think," she answered. "Just a little more patience."

Severus was tired of hearing the same thing from every person he met. Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Veda, Sidonius, and Cordelia – they all said the exact same thing. "Just a little more patience." Those five words were beginning to greatly agitate his nerves. He did not want to have to wait to create a lasting relationship with his daughter. Had he not already waited fourteen years? It was not his fault that Marina took his daughter from him, but how much longer was he going to have to pay for her mistakes? For her brutal, malicious acts? At times he felt stretched entirely too thin, that maybe he was not going to be able to endure much longer.

"Forget about me," Severus finally said. "How are you? These few weeks cannot have been easy on you."

"No, you are perfectly right," she replied. "They have been dreadful. I am holding up just fine, but I think this entire thing has really taken a lot out of Gregory. I worry about him, Severus."

"I know you do, but I am sure he will be fine once the shock of his father's imprisonment wears off."

"He is humiliated, Severus. Not for himself to be sure, but for me. He is so angry at his father right now I cannot even get him to speak his name."

They were still for several long moments.

"No doubt having his mother pester him repeatedly is not helping," she finally said. "What Gregory needs is a friend, someone his own age with whom he can speak freely with. I am afraid he does not have that."

"What about Draco Malfoy or Vincent Crabbe?"

Cordelia sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Just what I do not want for my son."

"They are going through very similar situations now. Both of their fathers were captured in the Department of Mysteries as well. Surely they could…"

"Those boys are poison!" She exclaimed loud enough to frighten one of the house elves clearing off the tea dishes. "Just like their fathers, both of them. If Gregory continues to stay with them, to be their friends, then I fear he will end up just like his own father, in Azkaban with the likes of them."

Severus quite agreed with Cordelia on that point, but he said nothing. It had saddened him in Gregory's first year when he noticed the striking similarity between Draco Malfoy ordering about his 'friends' as his uncle had during Severus' time. When Lucius Malfoy gained more power inside of Voldemort's army, Crabbe, Sr. and Gary Goyle left Lucien in favor of the bigger bully on the playground. Severus had all but written Gregory Goyle off to follow in the rather large footsteps of his father.

"I love Slytherin House, do not get me wrong," she continued in a much softer tone. "But sometimes I worry about the kind of students it produces. While all Houses are just as capable of producing dark witches and wizards, as we have already seen, Slytherin is more open. I was so angry when Gary told me he was going to take the mark."

Cordelia rose from the sofa. She crossed the room to stare out a large window overlooking the gardens. From her vantage point she could see her son, her precious Gregory, showing Anza about the grounds. Gregory hated the hedge maze after an incident when he was three, but he grudgingly showed it to his guest. (His father had run off and left him inside the maze. No one found him for almost an entire day. Cordelia had rarely been that angry with her husband as she was the day she found three year old Gregory sobbing in the middle of the dark maze.)

"I begged him to think of our future children, and do you know what he said to me?"

As it was a rhetorical question, Severus kept quiet.

"'I am thinking of our children, Cordelia'." Tears were forming in her eyes. Even at the distance of fifteen feet Severus could see that much. "Gary never thinks of anyone but Lucius Malfoy. _What would Lucius want me to do? What would Lucius advise? How would Lucius handle this problem?_ I have been able to handle the knowledge that Gary has other women in his life better than I can his relationship with Lucius. At least the women make sense."

"Are you unhappy in your life here, Cordelia?" Severus asked carefully.

"Very," she answered truthfully. "If I did not have to worry about Gregory or Mother I would have left a long time ago. Gone off somewhere out of the ordinary. Gone into hiding and changed my name, like Ursula."

Her words struck Severus funny.

"Ursula?" He asked slowly. "What about Ursula?"

Cordelia looked away from the window and cautiously looked in Severus' direction. The look on her face spoke volumes, but she hardly uttered a word.

"I know it is an awful thing to say," she said hastily. "Especially considering what happened to Ursula… but… but she was able to escape this dreadful place. She was able to move away and live in an exotic location."

"But she was murdered, Cordelia," he began to sense some of the desperation in his friend's voice. "Are you wishing that you were… _dead_?"

"No, of course not!" She answered too quickly to suit Severus' suspicious mind. "It is just this damn… return… and… oh, I should not speak of this!"

"The Dark Lord? Cordelia, you can speak freely with me. Never worry that anything you say to me will be said to someone else."

"If only he could have stayed away…"

Severus crossed the room to stand next to his friend. Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he felt her tremble beneath him. She was only moments from gut-wrenching sobs to be sure.

"Life was bearable before he returned… before Gary went back. Well, you must know what I mean."

"Yes, I certainly do."

"I should not even be speaking to you about this. These are not even thoughts I should carry within myself. I could find myself in a lot of trouble… or worse, endanger Gregory just for my irrational thoughts."

Severus turned Cordelia around so she could look into his eyes. He was not reading her; he respected her privacy too much to invade.

"If there is one thing in this entire world that I am certain of, Cordelia," he began. "You are not irrational. These fears you have… well, we have all had them. We have all feared that the Dark Lord's return was not for the best. Most of us were just returning to a normal life."

"Do you wish the Dark Lord had not come back?"

"The only thing I want in this world is to provide my Anza a place where she can grow up safely, never having to fear about war or hardship. I would do anything and everything possible to ensure that kind of life for her."

The two friends were silent for a long time… each knowing that in the dangerous world that theirs had become, speaking against He Who Must Not Be Named in any way was exceptionally dangerous. They knew that they had stepped over an invisible line. Ever vigilant about the number of Voldemort spies in the world at that time, they chose instead to speak of happier matters. Or at least different matters.

"Are you enjoying your break from lessons?" Cordelia asked in a formal tone.

"It has been very nice, yes," he replied, also adopting a formal tone. "We have been getting the Manor fit to live in once again. I had not been inside my childhood home in seven years until a little over a week ago."

"That will be very nice."

They were speaking to each to her, but neither one of them were really into the conversation. Cordelia was off in her own little world thinking about her son and what his father's arrest was doing to him. She had been anxious to see Anza and Severus certainly, but the invitation had also been a selfish one. As children Gregory and Miss Snape had been friends. Cordelia had hoped that she could recultivate that friendship. Her son needed someone his own age to talk to… she surely did not want the Malfoy cretin or Crabbe, Jr. to be the ones he spoke to. As any concerned mother would, she wanted to shelter her son from potentially dangerous alliances.

Severus watched his daughter through the window. She and Gregory were laughing, he was pleased to see. He had been afraid that his daughter was terribly shy… too shy to make any friends. In the fall she would be attending Hogwarts. Severus had already spoken with the Headmaster. Going against tradition, mostly because she had not been attending the school since she was eleven, Albus had approved Severus' wish for Anza to be in Slytherin House. The reasoning behind his decision was not simply because he wanted his daughter to follow in his footsteps. He knew that Anza would make a valuable spy within the house. She would be privy to information Severus could never hope to attain. She would be the eyes and ears of the Slytherin students… that is, if she agreed. He was still testing her out, determining whether or not she would consider working for the Order. He imagined she would, especially if her interest in Charlie Weasley was as strong as he believed it was. Persuasion would definitely be required to get his daughter to agree to the task. While he had wanted to see Cordelia to make sure she was doing all right after the arrest of her husband, Severus' acceptance of the invitation was a selfish one. He had hoped that Anza might strike up a friendship with Gregory, and perhaps later down the line have the influence to encourage him to join the side against Voldemort. The last thing Severus wanted to see was another member of his house going the wrong side. If Gregory continued his close friendship with Draco Malfoy without someone else as a good friend, Severus had no doubt Gregory would become another Death Eater just like his father.

Both Cordelia and Severus had selfish reasons for getting their children to meet again, but in their minds, their actions were for the best.

* * *

A few weeks into an eventful summer, Severus returned to his family home late or rather, very early in the morning. Since the failure of the Death Eaters within the Department of Mysteries and the fact that the prophecy had been destroyed in the battle, Voldemort had been extremely displeased. Every member of his Inner Circle that somehow had not found themselves locked away in Azkaban after a dismal defeat, suffered under the Cruciatus Curse at the hands of their master.

Voldemort found out about Anza's return to Britain. He was not pleased with Severus for keeping this information from him. Because of his insolence, Severus was kept under the curse longer than any other member of the Inner Circle. He was not under it for nearly as long as he had been the night of Voldemort's return, when he had to reassert his loyalty to the Dark Lord. But… it was still brutally painful.

Severus managed to Apparate back to his family manor on sheer will power alone. Determined that no one inside the house should know what was wrong with him, Severus tried to enter through a side door in the back of the house. His legs almost gave out on him as he tried to reach the door. He had expected to be alone, but found himself greatly surprised when he found his daughter sitting outside the side door reading a letter by candlelight. Before he had a chance to move out of her line of sight, he had been spotted.

"Father!" She jumped up from the bench to steady her father's wobbly frame. "Are you all right?"

"What are you doing outside so late, Anza?" he demanded, trying to shift the focus from him to her.

"I was having trouble sleeping so I came outside for some air," she replied, testy that he would try to change the subject. "But seeing as how I can walk properly we really should be concerned with what you are doing out so late."

His daughter certainly had his temper. Severus tried to behave as if nothing was wrong with him, but his body was not strong enough for such a charade. Before he was even able to make a single step forward, his legs gave out from underneath him. Because Anza had been holding onto her father when he fell, she landed in a heap next to him.

"I am perfectly all right," Severus said irritably through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, I can see that."

Anza looked her father over carefully. He could hardly do anything but lay down on the ground where he had fallen. Every tiny movement seemed to shoot pain coursing through his body. Though she hated to admit it, she was familiar with what he was experiencing. How many times had she seen her friend and next door neighbor in Belgium stagger and fall out in the yard? Eamon had a cruel boss who used illegal curses on his employees when he felt they were not doing their jobs well enough or if they did something to upset him. Truth be told his boss looked for excuses to curse his employees. And how many times had she seen one of her classmates emerge from the headmaster's office staggering in just the same way? It was no secret to anyone that bad students were cursed by the malicious headmaster. Anza herself had been victim a few times to his wrath.

"Was it the Morsus curse or the Cruciatus curse?" she asked her father calmly as if illegal pain curses were every day occurrences.

"What?" Severus was taken aback by her question. How did she know about the different kinds of curses? And how was she able to spot what was wrong with him?

"Was it the Morsus curse of the Cruciatus curse?" she repeated.

"What does it matter?" He asked, temporarily forgetting his concerns about his daughter being aware of the symptoms of pain curses.

"The Cruciatus curse feels like hot pokers all over your body… little stabs of hot pain," she explained casually. "The Morsus curse feels like tiny cuts all over your body… like someone taking a razor blade and just slicing at different areas of your body. The residual pain from each of them is cured differently."

"How do you know about this?" He was worried that she seemed so casual discussing what pain curses feel like and how they can be cured. Exactly what kind of life had she had up to that point?

She gave him a weak half-smile.

"Let's just say I grew up in a kind of… _dodgy_ place." She used her strength to help her father to his feet. "A girl had to learn a lot of things to survive."

He let her words soak in as she half-dragged him into the kitchen. Severus rarely entered the kitchen, preferring to leave all work in that room to the house elves. But as he entered he found it to be warm and inviting… a fire was raging in the fireplace. Anza silently deposited him into a chair at the table.

"Which one was it?" she asked again.

"Cruciatus," he replied against his better judgment.

"Don't move."

Anza disappeared through a door that led to the area of the house where Severus had his private potions laboratory. All he could do was sit and wait for her to return, his body beginning to shake with the aftermath of the curse the Dark Lord had so graciously given him. Anza returned a few minutes later carrying a vial of green liquid. She opened a kitchen cabinet, took out a spice and added it to the vial. Thrusting the potion under his nose, Severus grudgingly took it. He was always suspicious of potions offered to him by another, but seeing as his daughter was not likely to poison him, he drank it down in one swill. Before he had time to even remove the vial from his lips, the residual pain in his body began to subside.

"What did you give me?" He asked, excitedly. Despite all of his years of potion brewing he had yet to find something that took away that pain. Oh, he had tried plenty of potions, but none had worked as splendidly as that one.

"Something I learned in potions class last year," she answered, not completely filling in all of the blanks.

"You learned how to brew potions to rid your body of that kind of pain?" Now that he had his strength back he was able to sit up fully and raise his voice.

"I told you, Father. I grew up in a _dodgy_ place."

She turned her face from him, letting him know that she was done speaking about the place she had lived in for so many years. The memories were still fresh in her mind.

"What did you give me?" He asked again, respecting his daughter's wishes not to push the issue further.

"It's simple really. Just a mixture of a couple of potions you already made," she explained, her features relaxing now that she saw her father was better. "Mostly it was the Draught of Peace… but I added some ginger and some…"

"And some what?" He had never heard of this combination before. Kurach always told him that ginger rendered most potions useless. Only a few potions actually called for the ingredient.

"And a couple of drops of Doxycide."

The knowledge that his daughter had given him drops of a highly poisonous substance should have weighed heavily on Severus' mind… but he was fascinated. Doxycide in even tiny quantities could prove fatal to the drinker. Adding ginger to the potion negated the toxins in the Doxycide, but what was left reacted well with the Draught of Peace… thus, essentially ending his pain. He had been right all along when he knew his daughter was going to do well in potions.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Not only for teaching me about a new potion, but for helping me in."

"Where were you anyway?" She was not going to let him forget that he had not told her where he had gone.

"I had a meeting with some associates… things turned a little…"

"Dark Lord meeting?"

He should have been shocked once more by his daughter's outburst, but Severus found he was not in the least surprised that she guessed where he had been. Living with Marina all of these years had given her a unique outlook on life.

"Yes," he replied, somehow knowing he could not lie to his daughter.

"Next time take a vial of this potion with you so you will not have to worry about being splinched on your return trip."

She said it all matter-of-factly. Most girls her age would have been horrified and shocked to hear that their father was serving the Dark Lord… but Anza was not, a fact that greatly troubled her father.

"I know what kind of man you are, Father," she said, almost as if she could hear his thoughts. "I know what you do for the Dark Lord. I also know what you do for Albus Dumbledore."

"What? How could you possibly know all of this?"

"Would it frighten you terribly if I told you that I dreamed it all?"

He had no opportunity to reply. Her face broke out into a smile.

"Remus told me what a good man you are, Father," she said. "He told me how you offered up your services as a spy for Dumbledore during the first war to keep me safe."

"Why would he be so indiscreet like that?" Severus was angry that Remus would put his and his daughter's life in jeopardy. If she were in the least bit lackadaisical in her speech to the wrong person… why everything would have been for nothing. "Does he not understand how dangerous that information is?"

"He told me because I asked him what kind of man my father was," she responded, obviously defensive. "I hate the Dark Arts and nothing I knew about you up until that moment told me that you were a good man. My first thought when I learned that you knew I was alive was to return back to Britain. While I knew absolutely nothing about you that had not come straight from my mother's mouth… and you can imagine how reliable that information was… I somehow believed that any life in Britain was better than the one I was living in Belgium.

"Right before Charlie, Bill and I left for our trip I got cold feet. I was extremely nervous to leave. While Marina is a worse mother than a dung beetle, I thought, "better the devil you know, than the devil you don't." I was prepared to stay behind, despite all of the advice to leave. Remus arrived a few days before I left. He was perceptive of my fears, of my reluctance to leave. I already knew about the resistance movement… knew a lot about the Order even before I knew its name. My fear was that when I returned to England I was returning to the home of a very dark wizard. Mother told me as a girl that you brewed potions under her uncle for the Dark Lord. Do you not think it scared me to know I was moving into the home of a dark wizard?"

She was right. He knew it. And worse than that, Remus had been correct in telling her what he knew about her father. If Remus had not told her then she might never have made that journey.

"If you must place the fault of my knowledge on anyone, put it on me. I practically forced Remus to tell me. And I am very glad that he did. I know about the Order of the Phoenix. I know about the dangers that are facing this world we live in. I know all about it… and most importantly, I want to help."


	21. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

Anza must have asked her father a hundred times when she was going to be able to visit the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix before he actually took her. Severus wanted to speak with the members of the Order about her before taking her.

"A spy within Slytherin House? Sounds too good to be true," Kingsley Shacklebolt said at the meeting where Severus made his announcement about Anza.

"What exactly is the purpose of one?" asked Emmeline Vance who was almost always a little skeptical of Severus' plans.

"Many of the students in Hogwarts are children of Death Eaters," announced Severus though that was hardly breaking news. "Children are often quite careless with the information that they have learned from their parents… whether purposefully or accidentally. You can be certain that the Dark Lord already has well placed spies within each house in Hogwarts."

While every person seated or standing in the meeting room of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place wanted to dispute that little factual nugget, no one could. Following the knowledge that it had been so easy for Dolores Umbridge to create an Inquisitorial Squad, or rather a glorified spying network, right in the middle of the castle in full view, no one doubted that there were students spying, reporting everything they found or saw in the castle to a higher, darker authority.

"Every house in Hogwarts has at least one student whose parents are Death Eaters," Severus announced, again not shocking anyone in the room. "There is information that we as adults could never be privy to without a student spy."

"I do not like the sound of this," Charlie Weasley said aloud. "This sounds entirely too dangerous."

"Everything we do is dangerous, Mr. Weasley," Severus reminded him. "Without danger we would be unable to accomplish anything that we do."

"Supposing Anza is discovered… what would happen to her then? Those Slytherins can be terribly nasty."

"I assure you, Charlie," Albus Dumbledore added to calm the young wizard. "Miss Snape will not be harmed as long as I am in the castle… or as long as her father is in the castle."

"All Order members who are also staff will keep an eye out for Miss Snape," assured Professor McGonagall.

The two Gryffindor professors were able to calm the younger Gryffindor down far better than with anything Severus could have said. How a man could willingly work with dragons day in and day out, but be afraid that teenagers in the middle of a school would hurt another, never did make any sense to Severus. But, he was loath to admit it to anyone but himself, he was glad to see that Charlie Weasley had Anza's best interests in mind.

"Would Anza also be recruiting within the House?" Bill Weasley asked the potions professor.

"If the opportunity presents itself for her to help a fellow housemate make the decision to fight for our side or for the dark side, she will be there to persuade them what course of action to follow," Severus explained. "She will not be recruiting for members, since there are no underage wizards or witches allowed in the Order. She will only be there to guide the students. Her purpose within Slytherin House is much the same function of having Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger in Gryffindor. While they are not recruiting they are certainly influencing their fellow housemates."

The discussion in the meeting continued for a bit longer. Severus had not received anything newsworthy from the Dark Lord in a long time. It was feared that their link to Voldemort was drying up, but no one said anything out loud. Most of the Order feared that it could be any time at all that Severus Snape was murdered by He Who Must Not Be Named. No one said anything, but the fear was most assuredly there.

When the meeting was adjourned and all of the members began to file out of the meeting room and out of the house, Severus felt someone grab his arm. Turning around he came face to face with a rather irate Charlie Weasley.

"Are you certain that no harm will come to Anza?" Charlie demanded, his face turning red in anger.

"She will be in a safe location," replied Severus. "If something does happen she will not be alone."

"So you are saying that there is a possibility for something bad to happen to her?"

"There is a possibility for something terrible to happen to each of us every single moment of every single day of our lives… even without the Dark Lord's influence."

Charlie was not conciliated with this statement. Taking Severus' arm tighter in his grip, he glared at the potions master with a fierce defiant stare.

"Is there some danger in what you are asking her to do?" Charlie demanded, forgetting that there were other people in the house listening to his confrontation.

"I did not ask her to do anything, Mr. Weasley," Severus replied. "She volunteered to help. She was the one who suggested that being around the students might allow her the freedom to gather information we would never be able to. She was the one who thought it would be an excellent idea to try to recruit for our side. I never asked her to do anything."

"You were going to ask her though, were you not?"

"Yes, Mr. Weasley, I was going to ask her to help out the Order," he admitted. "But she asked before I had a chance to."

"Did you not try to dissuade her?"

"Why on earth would I do that, Mr. Weasley? I just admitted that I was going to ask her to help the Order before she got a chance." His patience with the dragon tamer was wearing dangerously thin. "And besides, you of all people should know that once Anza sets her mind to doing something, she will not be dissuaded by anyone."

Charlie let go of the grip he had on the spy's arm. He was right, of course. Anza was autonomous. Living with her mother had given her thick skin, a desire for independence and a streak of what could only be described as feistiness. She was not apt to anything she did not want to do. Good luck pressuring her into doing anything she had not already decided to do.

"I assure you, Mr. Weasley," Severus said, dropping his voice so that they were the only two in the room who could hear. "I will not let Anza get herself into trouble. She will never be alone as long as I am breathing and living within the walls of that castle."

That last bit of assurance was exactly what Charlie needed to allay his fears about Anza's well being. It was that and the fact that George Weasley pulled his elder brother away from the potions professor that allowed their conversation to cease. Yes, Severus noted with both displeasure and amusement, Charlie Weasley had certainly fallen hard for his daughter.

* * *

Anza was excited to say the least at the prospect of visiting the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. From the moment Severus told her over a private breakfast between the two of them in his private library one morning that she was to accompany him that evening to the headquarters, she spoke of nothing else. She had a hundred questions a minute it seemed to her father. She was curious to know where the building was, who owned it now that the previous owner was killed in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. She had more questions than Severus had answers.

"I cannot tell you where the Headquarters are located, Anza," Severus must have said for the thousandth time. "Only Dumbledore can tell you. He is the secret keeper. Even if I wanted to tell you the location I physically cannot."

"Oh," there was an obvious touch of disappointment.

"The headquarters are now owned by Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius Black's favorite cousin's daughter. Knowing full well that if anything happened to him the house could fall into the wrong hands, namely his cousin Narcissa Malfoy's hands, Black drew up a will only a few weeks before he died naming Tonks the owner of the home and the remainder of the Black family fortune."

"She is the Metamorphagus, right?" Anza had been keen to hear Severus' description of the young Auror who could change her appearance at will.

"Yes." His focus and attention was on the potion he was working on. He had been interested in the potion that his daughter made for him the night he returned from a dark revel. Since that evening he had spent a great deal of his time studying its properties and trying to tweak the potion to rid it of some of the nastier side effects. He did not experience any more pain from the curse, but when he woke up the next morning his entire body was numb and a shade that looked remarkably like blue.

"That must be wicked," Anza said, thinking over the possibilities of what she could do with power like that. "I would love to be able to change whenever I wished. My hair is dreadful. That would be the first thing I would change."

"Your hair is lovely," he assured her.

"No, it looks too much like my mother's," the young witch replied. "She was the one who always made me keep it long and this dreadful color."

"Auburn is very becoming on you, Anza," he said, his eyes still focused on his potion.

"You are my father. You have to say things like that," she teased.

He was not in a playful mood. Anza could see that right off.

"But I do not have to live with everything I do not like," she said, jumping off of the table she had been sitting on. "I am going to go find Veda."

Later that evening Severus learned just what his daughter had in mind when she went off to find her aunt that morning. Veda stopped him in the corridor outside of the dining room where the family took their meals.

"Now, Severus," Veda began. "This was all her decision. I only helped her along."

"What?" He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Anza came to me earlier today to help her with her hair. Because she cannot use magic outside of school, she needed someone who could."

"What did she do to her hair?"

He opened the door to find what looked to be a stranger sitting at his table. Anza's auburn hair had been dyed a deep raven black. The color was more befitting a Snape, he did have to admit, but he was used to seeing her with auburn locks. That had been the color she was born with. And when he moved closer to his daughter he saw that much of her hair had been chopped off. Before that evening her hair had fallen just below her waist… now it was cut to swing just below her chin. The transformation was incredible. She looked like an entirely different person. With her new hairstyle, she looked hauntingly like his elder sister, the witch she had been named for.

"Do you like it, Father?" she asked, fearing that he was going to be mad at her choice.

"Yes, I do," he admitted truthfully before seating himself at the table. "Hurry and eat your dinner. We need to leave for the Order meeting in half an hour."

* * *

An extremely chilly broomstick ride and an hour later, Severus found himself standing in front of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters in the middle of a dingy Muggle neighborhood. He handed Anza a slip of paper written by Albus Dumbledore.

"Memorize that, Anza," he instructed.

When she had, he took it from her and set it on fire with the tip of his wand. He told her to think of what she had just read. As she did he watched her face grow in surprise when the house came into her view. Taking her arm he led her into the non-descript house that served as the center of operations for the resistance movement against Lord Voldemort.

"Anza!"

As Severus expected, Charlie Weasley was waiting in the front foyer for them to arrive. It was common knowledge to many of the Order members that Severus was finally bringing his mysterious daughter that evening. Though her hair had been altered enough that her own father almost did not recognize her, young love has eyes all its own. Charlie, remembering his promise to his mother and to the father of Anza not to do anything before she left Hogwarts, gave the woman of his affections a chaste hug.

"Welcome, Anza," Molly Weasley beamed at her before giving her a convivial hug. She led the girl to the main staircase in the home. "The meeting is going to start in a few minutes. Since you two almost arrived late we cannot even offer you a hot cup of tea, Anza. Hermione and Ginny are upstairs in the bedroom on the first floor."

"Am I not allowed in the meeting?" she asked, affronted by this bit of information.

"Sorry, dear, only of age wizards and witches allowed in the meetings," replied Molly. "Not until you are older."

Anza did not like the sound of that, but being respectful of Mrs. Weasley and of the look her father was giving her, she did not say a word. Quietly she trumped up the stairs to the bedroom where the other girls were waiting out until the end of the meeting. Severus allowed Molly to lead him to the meeting room in the basement kitchen.

"Is there anything new about the prophecy You Know Who wants to get his hands on?" asked Elphias Doge. "We have not heard it spoken of for awhile."

"On my end I have heard nothing new," announced Albus Dumbledore. He turned to look at Severus. "Have you heard anything of interest, Severus?"

Everyone in the room expected him to say that he had nothing new to report. That had been what he had to say for weeks now. They were greatly surprised with his true answer.

"Yes, actually, I do," Severus replied. Murmurs of disbelief rang throughout the room. Severus stood up and was silent until the last whisper died out. "This should have been something we considered a long time ago, but for one reason or another it is only now that we thinking of it."

"And pray tell, what is it that we neglected to think of?" responded Hestia Jones. She was another of the Order members skeptical of what Severus had to say in his reports. Like so many other members she had not been part of the original Order of the Phoenix when Severus provided a great deal of useful information several times a week.

"The prophecy regarding Harry Potter and the Dark Lord was lost in the Department of Mysteries back in June,' Severus continued.

"We already know this," snapped Hestia.

"Because the Dark Lord still does not know what the full prophecy entails and because the only ones who do are Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter, two wizards he has had no fortune in capturing, he has decided to go after another who will be able to help… Sibyll Trelawny."

That information caused a bit of an uproar in the room. Most were familiar with the "Seer" Sibyll Trelawny, or at least familiar with her being a right, old fraud. In her life she had given two true prophecies. They all hated to admit it, especially to one another, but no one had considered the possibility that Voldemort was going to go after her. That is… except for Albus Dumbledore, but there was very little he did not already know.

"I was afraid of that," Albus said quietly. "That is why I would not let Dolores Umbridge kick her out of the castle. I feared for her safety."

"How would You Know Who get to Sibyll if she is in the safety of the castle? He would not dare go near Albus," Minerva McGonagall wondered aloud.

"How is not a question I am prepared to answer," Severus replied. "All I know is that there are forces moving as we speak to do everything that can be done to get the original prophecy to the Dark Lord. I am working as hard as I can to find out the possible ways that could be used to extract the prophecy straight from Trelawny, but I have come up with nothing. We may as yet be quite surprised with what happens."

Following the meeting Severus came face to face once more with Remus Lupin. They had not seen each other in months, not since before the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Desperately needing a vacation after his best friend Sirius died, Remus spent several weeks recuperating in Belgium, no doubt under the care of his mysterious Gwendolyn. Severus wasted no time in shaking the werewolf's hand in appreciation. He wished to no longer carry around the grudge he had against the three Gryffindors of his youth… with the death of James and of Sirius he felt that it was time he tried to bury the hatchet, so to speak.

"Thank you for everything you did to bring my daughter back to me," Severus said sincerely.

"It was the least I could do," Lupin replied with an uncomfortable air about his person. He would never be able to forget that night during their sixth year for as long as he lived. "Will you and Anza be staying for dinner?"

"While I have always tried to make it a point to not stay, I doubt Anza will be so anxious to leave."

Remus smiled at the potions professor before excusing himself. Severus exited the kitchen to look for his daughter. The younger Weasleys, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were already down in the entrance hall milling about, speaking with several of the members. Severus noticed that Anza was not among them. He was just about to inquire after her to Hermione Granger when he noticed Charlie Weasley escape from the crowd and head upstairs. Having no doubt in his mind where Mr. Weasley was headed and for what purpose, Severus casually followed the young man.

Charlie entered a bedroom on the first floor. In his rush to get inside he did not shut the door completely. Severus was able to lurk out in the darkened hallway and spy… well, not _spy _on his daughter, simply keep tabs on her.

"Do you like it?" Anza asked showing off her new hairstyle to the dragon tamer. He ran his fingers through it, a fact that made Severus quite angry, but as he had not done anything wrong, Severus did not wish to burst in. Years of lurking in corridors waiting for some unsuspecting student to break a rule had not disappeared from him simply because his daughter was back in his life. Old habits die hard.

"Yeah, I love it," Charlie replied. "Goes with this whole new you."

"A whole new me?"

"Yeah, you know the one that volunteers for dangerous, secret missions where she could get herself really hurt."

Charlie was obviously still bothered by Anza's decision to spy inside the castle during the school term.

"Oh, not this again," said Anza, sighing in frustration. She sat down on one of the beds in the room heavily. "You already told me what you were thinking in that rather long and angry owl you sent me. I know how you feel, but this was my decision to make."

"Are you not concerned that something could go seriously wrong?" His voice was pleading, gradually getting louder and louder as he became angrier and more frightened for her safety.

"What could go wrong? I will be in the castle. My father and Professor Dumbledore will not be far from me at any time while I am there. Nothing bad is going to happen to me."

"What happens if someone finds out what you are doing? Someone… someone like that Malfoy git? Are you not afraid of what he could do to you?"

"As I recall I was not particularly afraid of Draco Malfoy when we were children. He just had a nasty temper and could throw one hell of a tantrum." She laughed at the thought of Draco Malfoy causing her any harm. "I can throw tantrums better than he can, so don't worry."

Charlie could not stop worrying about her merely because she told him to. He sighed loudly before sitting down on the bed across from Anza.

"Want to run away?" he asked, partially serious, but mostly joking.

"What?" She laughed at the thought. "You mean run away _again_?"

"Yeah, we could just pack up and go in the middle of the night… but you cannot bring Basmus. He hates flying too much."

Anza laughed again; Charlie joining in with feeble chuckles.

"Where would we go?" Anza wished to hear more of his fanciful plans.

"Anywhere you want."

"As long as it is not cold," she added with a laugh. "I am so bloody sick of being cold."

"Okay, somewhere warm… how about the South Pacific?"

"I hear it is lovely there."

"There is a great dragon colony…"

"No!" she protested in jest. "No dragons in our fantasy."

"All right," he replied reluctantly. "We will go far away to an island in the South Pacific. We can spend all day in the ocean or on the beach… and all night sleeping in a hammock in the trees. We will be so far away from everyone that we will never have to worry about another dark wizard as long as we live."

"It is a nice thought, but what would our parents say?" she asked, not wanting the fantasy to end, but knowing they had to return to reality.

"We could just leave notes behind. They would understand… young love and all."

She smiled at him.

"And do you?" she asked.

"Do I what?"

"Love me?"

"I would think it was obvious by now that I do."

Now Severus really felt guilty about being privy to such a private interchange. He had not meant to come upstairs to spy on their most private discussions. He felt extremely guilty hearing what he had just heard. Immediately he chastised himself for it. What would he have done if someone had walked upon he and Ursula speaking as they often did so many years ago? How would that have made him feel? Raising a teenage daughter was going to be an even more difficult task than he originally considered.

Before he was going to make his presence outside the bedroom known, he looked once more at the young couple sitting across from each other. Anza reached across to touch Charlie's cheek gently while she leaned in closer to him. Severus was moments away from pushing the door open when he saw Charlie gently push Anza from him.

"No," he said firmly, but gently. "I promised your father and my mother that nothing would happen until you leave Hogwarts. And to be honest, my mother scares me a hell of a lot more than your father."

_Good man_, Severus thought.

"Professor?" Hermione Granger joined Severus on the landing. He had turned away from the door just in time for her arrival. "Can I help you with something?"

Raising his voice so the couple inside could hear him speak, he replied, "Yes, Miss Granger, I was actually looking for my daughter."

There was a rush of activity in the bedroom as Anza struggled to hide the fact that Charlie Weasley was alone in a room with her. She quickly moved to open the door.

"Sorry, Father," she apologized hastily, too hastily for her own good. "Did you need something from me?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you wished to stay for dinner here this evening… but if you would rather return home that would be most agreeable as well."

"Oh, no, I would love to stay a little while longer," she replied, her neck growing crimson. Her new haircut certainly kept her from hiding her blushes.

"If you will come with me I would like to introduce you to a few people downstairs."

Less than a minute later they were at the bottom of the staircase. Severus looked up just in time to see a rather flushed Charlie Weasley emerge from the bedroom door in an attempt to look casual. The two men locked eyes; Severus sneered.

"What did you study in school, Miss Snape?" Professor Minerva McGonagall asked unceremoniously at the kitchen table.

"The usual subjects I suppose… potions, transfiguration, defense against the dark arts, history of magic, arithmancy and herbology," Anza answered just as unceremoniously.

"What are you going to specialize in now that you are preparing for your N.E.W.T.s?" Hermione Granger asked, always curious to know what others her age were studying.

"Honestly I have not thought that out completely through… Schooling in Belgium is much different than it is here, but I would like to continue my Divination studying. I find that fearfully interesting."

Both Hermione and Minerva McGonagall exchanged quiet looks of disgust with the other. It was no secret to anyone, but Anza, their mutual distaste for that particular branch of magical study. Perhaps if they had been around Divination teachers who were actual Seers they might have had a bit more respect for the rather imprecise branch of magic. Hogwarts was not known for its quality Divination teachers.

"We had a centaur who taught the class last year," informed Hermione. "I left the class in the middle of my third year, but Ron and Harry found the class interesting."

"Why did you leave?" Anza was also curious in the studies of those her age.

"To be honest I found the subject to be complete rubbish… of absolutely no use."

"Oh, I see."

Anza was quiet for a great deal of the meal following Hermione's rather tactless comment. Usually good about being positive, Hermione had trouble saying anything nice about the subject Sibyll Trelawny attempted to teach at Hogwarts.

Severus sat across the table and only a few seats down from his daughter at the table. He preferred sitting at the end as far away from others as virtually possible in polite society. People were less inclined to engage him in conversation that way. He liked to look down the table at the strange group assembled. Nowhere else in the world would this collection of people sit down together for a meal than at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

It was while looking down the row of people that Severus got one of the largest shocks of his life. As the meal was winding down he happened to look in his daughter's direction. She was looking at Charlie, the two of them exchanging clandestine smiles across the table. It was an ordinary action that quickly turned extraordinary. Anza was smiling at Charlie when her entire body began to convulse violently. Hermione and Fred Weasley, the two sitting on either side of her, jumped out of the way. Fred tried to catch Anza from falling off of the bench onto the stone floor, but he was out of luck. Anza, still convulsing violently, crashed onto the ground. Severus ran to his daughter's side. She stopped convulsing, but her eyes rolled back, and she began to speak in a raspy, otherworldly voice.

"_DARK CREATURES WILL ALWAYS STICK WITH THEIR BROTHERS. CREATURES INTENT ON RIDDING THE WORLD OF JOY WILL NEVER WORK FOR THE SIDE OF THE LIGHT. THEY WILL NEVER DO THEIR BIDDING. AS THE DARK LORD MAKES PROMISES THAT THE LIGHT COULD NEVER DO, THEY WILL JOIN HIM. THEY WILL ABANDON THEIR POSTS, LEAVING THE WORLD OPEN TO THE SCUM THEY GUARD._"

Anza's eyes returned to the front of her face and she fainted on the cold floor. Every person there to witness whatever it was they had just witnessed began to speak in tones that were not hushed.

"What does that mean?" Ginny Weasley asked the group aloud. Her face was pale with fright.

Charlie had jumped up from his seat at the table the moment he saw Anza begin to convulse. He reached her before Severus had a chance. Blood was trickling down the back of her head where it had hit the granite flooring. Charlie gingerly lifted her unconscious form off the ground, intent on getting her to one of the many bedrooms in the house. Severus naturally followed both Charlie and Albus Dumbledore. As he was leaving the room he heard the frightened voice of Hermione…

"Was that a… _real_ prophecy?"

"What do you suppose this means?" Remus Lupin asked a concerned Albus Dumbledore after the wizard checked out Anza's injuries thoroughly. Charlie had carried her into the drawing room where a small crowd consisting of Severus, Molly, Remus, Albus, Charlie and Tonks had now gathered.

"Were you aware, Severus, that your daughter was a Seer?" Albus calmly asked the frightened father of the girl.

Was he aware that Anza was a Seer? Well… no, but as he began to think of the past he remembered strange occurrences that could not be explained away. Marina spoke a prophecy in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron about 'an enemy of the Dark Lord hiding in Madeira" while she was pregnant with Anza. As a young girl Anza used to enter a room when she was learning to speak and say random words. No one ever thought much about it when she did it, simply chocked it up to her being a child in the process of learning. But she had spoken the name of Harry Potter the morning after the fall of Voldemort. Severus had always simply assumed that she had heard her grandfather speak of the event. There were a hundred little things that had happened that he never gave much notice. What about the night she joined him after he had the nightmare and she told him that she was all right? That the lady did not get her? That she knew what he saw when he dreamed?

And then that woman… that Madam Melka said she believed Anza had the gift, but how could she if Anza did not believe it herself? Weren't Seers always flaunting their gift to everyone they met? That was certainly the experience Severus had had personally with Seers.

"No, I had no idea," he responded to the Headmaster's question truthfully. "Is that what you think she is?"

"I have seen enough prophecies spoken by real Seers to know one when I see one," Albus replied. "And I believe your daughter is a real one. Do you have any other Seers in your family?"

"None that I am aware. Does that gift usually run in families?"

"Usually," Albus answered. "But not always."

"Albus, what do you think the prophecy meant?" Remus asked again.

"I am not sure," he answered truthfully. "I was so concerned with what was happening with Miss Snape that I did not pay attention to all of the words. Did anyone else hear the entire thing?"

No one in the room had paid much attention to what Anza had said in the middle of her convulsions. Witnessing a prophecy was often a frightening experience for the onlookers. The actual Seer usually did not even realize anything had happened.

"We will just have to wait until Miss Snape wakes up. Tonks, my dear, do you know if there is a pensieve in the house?"

Tonks took the Headmaster out of the room to show him a collection of magical artifacts she kept in the library. Remus followed them close behind. Charlie had not left Anza's side since he laid her down on the sofa.

"While she be all right?" he asked his mother who was busy fussing over the unconscious girl.

"She hit her head pretty hard when she fell," Molly replied. "I think she just needs a little bit of rest. She will be fine."

Anza did not come to until the early hours of the morning. Everyone in the house had found a quiet place to rest while they waited for her to wake up. Charlie never left her side, sitting for hours on the floor next to her. Severus also did not leave the room, choosing instead of the floor to sit in an armchair by an open window.

"Charlie?" Anza's voice was small, but anticipating her coming to, Charlie was ready. He leapt up quickly to kneel at her side. "What happened?"

"You… well, you," he was having trouble explaining what happened. "You had a vision or something. You started to have a fit during the meal last night."

"What?" She tried to sit up, but Charlie tenderly pushed her back down.

"You started to shake and tremble. Fred tried to catch you, but you fell and hit your head on the floor. While you were down there, you…"

"I what?"

"Is she awake?" Albus Dumbledore asked as he entered he room carrying a large, oversized pensieve. He was again joined by Remus, Tonks and Molly.

"She just woke up, Headmaster," Severus informed his mentor.

Before giving the young girl a proper explanation of what happened last night, Dumbledore put the end of his wand to her temple.

"Think of what you were doing last night during dinner, Anza," he instructed.

When she had and he had pulled long, silvery threads from her, he dropped them into the pensieve. Swirling the liquid inside with his wand, they all gasped, none more so than Anza, when they saw her figure floating in the air. She was smiling coquettishly, no doubt at Mr. Weasley. The scene of the evening before played out once more.

_"Dark creatures will always stick with their brothers. Creatures intent on ridding the world of joy will never work for the side of the light. They will never do their bidding. As the Dark Lord makes promises that the light could never do, they will join him. They will abandon their posts, leaving the world open to the scum they guard."_

"I… I said that?" Anza asked, completely confused by the events that led to her being knocked out.

"Yes, you did. Have you ever experienced something like this before?" Albus was extremely delicate with the young girl.

"No, never," she replied, not even having to stop for a moment to think. There had never been a moment in her life when an entire period of time disappeared. She certainly had never prophesied before.

"_Dark creatures will always stick with their brothers…_ what does that mean?" Remus was not the only one in the room trying to figure it out. They all knew that there was something to it… something on the tips of their tongues…

"Dementors," announced Minerva McGonagall as she burst into the room.

They all turned to look at her. She looked frantic, almost as if she had not had a wink of sleep the night before. In her hand she carried that morning's _Daily Prophet_.

"Dementors?" Albus repeated.

"Yes, the dementors have joined You Know Who's side. They left Azkaban last night. All of their prisoners are now free."


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

Chapter Twenty-One

"I have never been more humiliated in my entire life," Anza said quietly to her father.

Because of the previous evening's excitements, namely Anza's prophecy and her ensuing injury, neither Severus nor Anza had left Number Twelve Grimmauld Place by that next afternoon. With the dementors joining the dark side and leaving the Azkaban prison open, there had been more than enough to do within the Order's Headquarters. Anza was still recovering in the drawing room from her injury. She wished more than anything to leave nevertheless.

"Why are you humiliated?" Severus asked. They were the only two people still left in the room.

Anza sighed a long, dramatic sigh before laying back down on the sofa, in an equally dramatic manner. Her knight, the ever faithful Charlie Weasley had finally left her on her own, having been ordered by his mother to get some much needed sleep.

"Why am I humiliated?" She was indignant. "Did you have a … a _fit_ last night in front of a bunch of strangers!"

It was unlikely that Severus was going to get away from this discussion any time soon. He knew how upset his daughter was, so he opted to do the only thing he really knew he could do… listen to her rants and raves… maybe try to comfort her if the need presented itself. Was there not some book he could read explaining everything he needed to know to raise a teenage daughter? He did better when books gave him a step by step procedure.

"You foretold a prophecy last night," he replied, careful not to anger her. At least there was one thing he knew about her… they had very similar temperaments. "That is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is a gift that very few people have."

"Well the Powers that Be can take it back! I certainly do not want it!"

"One should never be so quick to dismiss a gift," he reminded his daughter.

"I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Father," she continued. "But your idea of having me work gathering information within Slytherin House is not going to work."

"Why do you say that?" He was swiftly learning not to disagree with his daughter before she gave him a complete explanation. Already in the six weeks of living together he had learned that lesson.

"Because you have to have friends to find out that kind of information!" She acted as if that knowledge was common… that he was dense to not already know.

Severus was having trouble understanding exactly what his daughter's problem was. He must have let it show on his face because before he could ask his daughter what she meant, she returned to her tirade.

"In my entire life I have had two friends that were my own age – two," Anza said, trying to keep her temper under control. "One I cannot even remember and the other lives hundreds of miles away from me."

"You will make friends at Hogwarts in time." He thought he was being reassuring. He thought he was telling her what she needed to hear. He thought he was helping.

"Right… because the people I have already met from that school are so keen to be friends with me." She turned her gaze away from her father and became quite interested in a hole in the ceiling. "Harry Potter and Ron Weasley hate me. They will not even speak to me for a reason I cannot possibly understand. Hermione Granger thinks I am silly because I am interested in Divination. She refuses to take me seriously. And I am sure after last night any wish Ginny Weasley had of being my friend disappeared when I said that damned prophecy."

"There are of course other students in the castle… students that are not Gryffindors."

"Well, the two Slytherins I know are terrified of me because my name also happens to be Velousova. Millicent Bulstrode hardly said three words to me when her family came to call and Gregory is obviously scared of me. How can I do what I am supposed to do if I cannot even make friends?"

Severus thought that over for a moment. She was right, of course. The entire plan would be null and void if Anza was unable to create any relationships with members of her House.

"Perhaps if in the beginning you focus mostly on your school work you can impress those in your year."

She laughed at that comment.

"Oh, yeah, I am really going to impress the students with _my_ school work. You have obviously never seen me inside of a classroom." Her face turned grave. "I am not good around my peers, Father. I get so damned inhibited, always waiting for someone to find something wrong with me. Usually I can hardly say two coherent words to a stranger. Making friends is not easy for me to do."

Anza's reluctance was indeed putting a damper on the plan, but Severus was not entirely discouraged. There was plenty of time for her to become more comfortable in her role. If he could use one word to describe a member of the Snape family, any member, it would be … resourceful. Anza would be just fine.

* * *

Every year that Severus had been a professor at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he imagined, even while she was a young toddler and during the time he believed her to be dead, what she would be like once she entered school there. In none of his fantasies did he imagine her not coming into the school in her first year. She would always walk purposefully up the Sorting Hat, sit under there prim and proper-like and be terribly excited when the Hat sorted her into Slytherin. She would sit at the table immediately surrounded by a gaggle of friends and enjoy the rest of the Welcoming Feast with her housemates.

Unfortunately fantasies rarely translate into reality. Severus sat watching the evening's events unfold. A horde of terrified first years was standing just below the head table waiting to be sorted. His daughter, although she was beginning her first year there, was not amongst them. Because it was actually her sixth year of formal magical study, she merely took a seat at the Slytherin table without being sorted publicly. Anza was sitting at the table alone, neither Gregory Goyle nor Millicent Bulstrode, the two Slytherins who had met her in the summer, sat near her. It was apparent that she felt a little awkward sitting amongst a large empty space, but she tried to ignore it. Anza calmly watched the festivities as if she had seen the same thing a hundred times. As the new Slytherin students began to be announced by the Sorting Hat, frightened first years began to close up the space around her. Nothing about his daughter's first night in the castle was going as he planned.

The next morning Severus halted outside the open door to his classroom before venturing within. He was reminded strongly of his first lesson in the beginning of his career. Sidonius had been a student in that lesson. Before he was able to enter the room Severus had to calm himself. Once more in his lifetime he felt himself have to do the very same thing. Anza was in his first class of the new school term.

"Silence!" He ordered as he entered the room. Immediately all sound ceased.

Severus began calling out the class attendance roll. He lingered on the usual names… Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter… then he found a name he had never seen on his roll before … Speranza Velousova. It had been suggested by the headmaster that it be best if Anza went by her mother's maiden name. Albus did not wish any of the professors, namely Severus, to feel awkward about calling down a Miss Snape. Severus hated seeing that name in print, remembering whom it belonged to, but he knew better than to disregard the Headmaster's requests.

"Velousova, Speranza," he called out.

Anza hesitantly raised her hand. She was sitting in the very back of the room; the only empty spot being at the table Neville Longbottom was sitting at. Very few in either house were willing to sit next to him given his difficulties in class. Especially considering the potions curriculum was much more stringent in their sixth year than in previous years, no one wanted to run the risk of terribly caustic potions exploding all over them.

Severus' most selfish desire was to show the rest of the class how intelligent his daughter was. Though she had a different name every single student and staff member currently residing in the castle knew which professor her father was. Some hated her for it; most simply pitied her. Severus wanted them all to see how much his daughter knew. He moved to the back of the class to loom over me.

"Tell me, Miss Velousova," he began, his voice icily cold. "What are the three main ingredients in a Befuddlement Draught?"

Anza looked like she wanted to die right there in the middle of the dungeons. She could not even look her father in the eye.

"I don't know, sir," she answered, feeling terribly humiliated with the eyes of every student in the room on her.

"Well, then let us try another one. How many days do the lacewing flies need to be stewed before being added to a Polyjuice potion?"

"Thirteen days?" Anza's eyes began to fill with tears, but she hid them from everyone in the room. What kind of game was her father playing with her? And why did he have to do it front of so many strangers she already felt uncomfortable around?

"Incorrect, I am afraid," he responded, a glint of anger visible in his eyes. Surely his daughter knew the answers to these questions? They were hardly fifth year applicable. What kind of school had she been attending all of those years? "Clearly the Velousov name does not make you better than any of the other students."

Anza wanted to melt away in a puddle on the floor. There were murmurs around the room amongst the other students. Everyone knew this new girl was his daughter. Why was he so cruel to her? Most of the Slytherins knew she was quite shy, so why on earth would he pick on her in class to humiliate her? It seemed at that moment every single member of that class, Slytherin and Gryffindor alike, felt compassion for the young girl.

"Can anyone else answer these questions that Miss Velousova failed to do so dismally?" He asked the class. No one but Hermione Granger raised their hand. "No one at all?" He was purposefully ignoring Miss Granger as he had for many years already.

Again no one raised his or her hand.

"The three main ingredients in a Befuddlement Draught are sneezewort, scurvy-grass and lovage. Lacewing flies must be stewed for _twenty-one_ days in a Polyjuice potion, not thirteen. I had expected to start you lot off on an advance potion, one that would no doubt come in handy for your N.E.W.T. But… seeing as how no one can answer those simple questions, we will have to start from the beginning and work our way up to the point you should already be."

He swept to the front of the classroom. With a flick of his wand the procedure for a boil curing potion, a potion he taught first years, was written on the classroom chalkboard. Immediately, but with disgruntled tones, the students began to prepare the undemanding potion. Feeling frustrated with his daughter's lack of knowledge with seemingly simple questions, Severus sat down disgusted at his desk in the front of the room.

Severus watched the students around the classroom prepare their potion. Most were able to do it with little to no difficulty. Though he usually kept a keen eye on Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, ever vigilant for an opportunity to take off House points or assign detentions, Severus found himself watching his daughter more than any other student in the class. She was extra nervous after the earlier confrontation, and it looked like her potion brewing was being affected. Frustrated that his daughter, a Snape, could miss the answers to those questions, he turned away to focus his attention on the Gryffindors.

Towards the end of the lesson Severus heard a noise from the back of the room he had become entirely too accustomed to. A loud hissing emanated from a back cauldron, a cloud of acid green smoke began to fill the room. Realizing what one of the dunderheads he taught had done, Severus began to cross the room. The cauldron in question had melted; potion was spilling out all over the stone floor. Several students jumped up to stand on their tables or their stools. Most of them were used to this kind of occurrence in a class with Neville Longbottom.

"I thought that we learned in your first year to not add the porcupine quills until after the cauldron is taken off the fire, Mr. Longbottom."

Severus blasted the running potion with his wand to clean it up. With another wave of his wand he made the acid green smoke disappear. He was just about to deduct twenty house points from Gryffindor when he saw something that completely shocked him. Neville's cauldron was in perfect condition. Even his potion was the right color. What shocked him was the person with the melted cauldron was… Anza. Big tears were rolling down her cheeks. Her robes were covered in the caustic potion, creating large holes. Boils had begun to develop on her arms.

"I am sorry, sir," Anza managed to say, her voice scratchy and shaky. "I did not read the part about adding the quills after you remove it… from the fire."

"Twenty points will be taken from Slytherin, Miss Velousova," he replied, his voice chilling. "Five for the missed questions earlier in the lesson and fifteen because your obvious lack of reading comprehension has impaired your judgment."

More tears were rolling down her face. Thoroughly mortified for a second time in less than an hour, Anza could not bear to look at her father's angry countenance.

"Longbottom," he barked. "Take Miss Velousova to the hospital ward."

Worried that his formidable potions professor was going to yell at him again, Neville Longbottom leapt up and immediately started showing Anza the door. Before either of them had a chance to exit the door, Professor Snape stopped them with his words.

"And Miss Velousova, you will be serving a detention here tonight at eight. If you are one minute late I will be forced to deduct even more points from our house."

* * *

Severus stormed into the staff room that afternoon when classes were over. He had had a dismal first day back. To his great annoyance there was already an assembly of staff members and professors in the room when he arrived. Not wishing to speak to any of them, he poured himself a cup of tea and sat as far away from the group as possible.

"Have a pleasant day, Severus?" Minerva McGonagall asked, no doubt knowing the answer simply be looking at the man's face.

He did not even dignify her question with a response.

"Miss Anza is just fine now, Severus," Poppy Pomfrey announced to him, patting his forearm. "The boils and burns were taken care of quickly. She was even able to return to the rest of her classes."

He made a noise similar to the growling noise Basmus made when one was late with his breakfast.

Everyone left him alone after that. There was a great deal on his mind and when that particular professor wished to be left alone… he was left alone. The only problem with sitting in a staff room for very long is that eventually the other members sitting there start to gossip. They talk about the new policies of the school year. They talk about the new students. They talk about the old students. They talk about the new teachers. They talk about the old teachers. They talk about everything… often they forget to lower their voices.

"The poor child came into the hospital ward, covered in potion, sobbing," Poppy announced to the assembled group quietly, but not so quietly Severus could not overhear. He said nothing, made no effort to make it obvious he had. To be perfectly honest he was interested to hear what they had to say. "It took both Mr. Longbottom and myself to calm her down enough to take a healing potion. I also had to give her a few drops of the 'Draught of Peace'."

"Oh, the poor girl," added Flora Sprout. "I wondered what could possibly have her so upset in class this morning. She was so distracted she almost had her hand eaten by a venomous tentacula."

"I hope her nerves were the reason she performed so poorly in class today," replied Filius Flitwick. "A new school is always difficult especially when you have entered so much later than those in your year. I hope that can explain what happened."

"What happened?" asked Sophia Vector, who in days to come would have much to add to the conversation about how poorly Anza Snape was doing in her classes. In only her second lesson with Professor Vector, Anza would be so embarrassed by her wrong interpretation of a numbered chart that she would burst into tears. It seemed the poor girl was not a very good student at all.

"We were reviewing Summoning Charms," Professor Flitwick explained. "I did not think this would be a problem for any of them… it is a fourth year spell after all. Miss Snape, er, Miss Velousova was practicing with Mr. Zabini… it was terrible."

"He will be just fine though," Poppy assured the group. "Only a broken wrist."

"It could have been so much worse," Flitwick said, shaking his head. "Not once in all my years of teaching have I had to rescue a student from the ledge on the outside of the castle."

Severus could not believe what they were saying about his daughter. Thinking at first that they were making jokes, knowing that he was listening in, he was able to brush their comments off. But as they continued… as Minerva McGonagall mentioned how Anza blew up the dove she was trying to transfigure into a lantern… as Flora Sprout described the inch long spikes she had to pull out of Anza's hands when she tripped and fell on a spiky bush… as Filius Flitwick described in detail why Hufflepuff Wayne Hopkins had no eyebrows and how Anza was responsible for that… as Severus heard all of these stories, he realized they were not joking. Anza was as terrible a student as all that.

* * *

Severus' evening certainly did not improve after hearing about his daughter's first day of classes. None of his plans were going as they should have been. He wanted much more for his daughter than he himself had at school. That was primarily the reason he was concerned about the dismal first day his offspring had just endured… but he was also concerned about his other plan… the one where she would create relationships with her fellow housemates to try to dig up potential information. If she could not make friends this plan was useless.

"You should not expect so much on the first day," Minerva McGonagall whispered to her colleague as they both caught sight of a particularly self-conscious Anza walking into the Great Hall to make her way to the Slytherin table.

"What?" Severus hardly heard the Transfiguration professor.

"You should not expect so much on the first day," she repeated herself. "You and I were fortunate enough to enter this school as a terrified first year with a hundred others who were just as nervous and unsure of ourselves. Miss Anza is a sixth year. The ones in her year are extremely comfortable in their roles as students here. They know most of the teachers and what they expect from their students. They know where to find the information they need if they have questions or perhaps a concern. And perhaps most importantly… they know their fellow classmates. They have firmly established relationships."

She was right. Damn it… Minerva McGonagall was almost always right. Severus had to admit that the professor had an entirely different view on the matter. No doubt being female aided her in the process of understanding other females. He was really going to have to find a book to help him. There had to be a book out there. Everything in life had instructions, was he wrong?

Severus watched his daughter seat herself at the Slytherin table in a particularly open spot. Many of the students in her year had not yet arrived to dinner. She was still quite early. Sitting alone did not seem to bother Anza as much as it bothered her father. She began to eat her dinner quietly and unaccompanied. A few minutes went by and the Great Hall began to fill up with the latecomers. Severus noticed with some pleasure that Gregory Goyle, the boy who had been so quick the night before to sit far away from his new housemate, chose to sit down right across from Anza. She gave the boy a weak smile before returning to her meal. One by one more sixth year Slytherins began to fill up the empty space around Anza. This heartened Severus.

In the middle of the dinner, with Anza surrounded by Slytherins and appearing to speak amiably with them, another event took place that further humiliated Anza on her first day at Hogwarts. An owl swooped into the hall carrying a red envelope. Mail was not usual during the evening meal and the students often noticed Howlers. They were forms of entertainment during breakfast. Severus was displeased when he noticed the howler land on Anza's plate. Who would possibly be sending her a howler?

Anza took the scarlet envelope in her shaking hands, every person in the Great Hall looking in her direction. She clumsily opened the seal, jumping as the letter flew out of her hands and began to scream. Only a few present in the hall could understand what the howler was saying. A woman's voice screaming in Russian at Anza left no mistaking who had sent the howler. Marina had obviously discovered she was now in Britain attending school at Hogwarts. The bane of Severus' existence continued to scream in her native tongue, as she had often done during their marriage when she was particularly livid, until even from the distance he was at, Severus could see his daughter was crying again. Humiliated for yet another time in her first day, Anza rose quickly from her seat at the Slytherin table, her face covered completely in tears. She began to run out of the Great Hall, with, Severus was again heartened to see, Slytherin sixth years Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass running after her. When the three girls exited the hall, Severus looked at the students and was again surprised by what he saw.

Students all over the hall and from each of the four houses were glaring right at him… none more so than Hermione Granger.

* * *

Severus Snape descended into the dungeons following dinner in a foul mood. Anza had not returned to the Great Hall following her embarrassing Howler. He did have to stop to feel sorry for the young girl. Her first day in a new school had been absolutely dreadful. Even he, with all of the problems he had during his school years, had never had a day near as bad as Anza. It seemed that every few minutes of that day she horribly humiliated herself in one way or another.

He entered his private office wishing desperately that he could give his daughter the opportunity to relive her first day of school. A person only got one chance to make a good first impression. The hidden bottle of Fire Whiskey in his desk was calling his name urgently.

"Could you pour me a glass too?" He heard a voice behind him when he was done pouring himself quite a liberal portion.

Anza looked dreadful. She had not changed out of the robes that were badly damaged during the potions lesson that morning. Or were those rips and tears a result of another one of her many debacles that day in lessons? Her hair was untidy and her face had tell tale red streaks indicating she had been crying.

"You are entirely too young for whiskey, Anza," he said, resuming his role as the young girl's father. It was evident by the look on her face that she could not handle another round with the potions master.

"I assume you heard the howler in the Great Hall," she began, her eyes focusing on a rather interesting spot on the carpet. "Of course you did… everybody heard it."

"Was it…" He knew it was Marina, but he did not quite know how to talk to his daughter about delicate matters such as this.

"Of course it was that woman!" she snapped back. "Who else do you know would send me a howler on my first day of classes when I had done absolutely nothing wrong?"

"What did she say?" Severus heard the howler, of course, but his comprehension of the Russian language could be described as dismal in the very least.

Anza sighed loudly and dramatically, a sigh she would employ for the rest of her life. She found a clear spot on Severus' oversized desk to sit on.

"Oh, just the usual. I brought shame to the Velousov name. How dare I leave home to return to the house of the man who did not even want me… How dare I run off with Charlie Weasley… she should have never allowed my 'relationship' with him to continue. Never trust a red haired man. She seemed to be most furious about the money I stole from her. That is what the majority of the howler was about," Anza answered bitterly her father's question. "That shows what her priorities are and the true way she feels about me. No, she does not care that I ran away from home. She is only worried about her _precious_ gold."

Severus was silent following that confession. Too often in his daughter's life had he wished he had made a different decision as a young man. Marina was not the kind of person to bring one anything but grief. She was a like a spider, or any of the other particularly nasty creatures with far too many legs to be allowed.

"I suppose you must have also heard about how my first day went…" Anza said, again quietly and her eyes down at the floor.

"Yes, well, I did hear mention of it."

Anza made a noise under her breath to show both her annoyance and her humiliation.

"I told you I was not good in a classroom," she said, looking up at her father with pleading eyes. "You said I would be fine…. Well, you were wrong. I am no good at all."

"I hardly doubt that," though in truth he was beginning to believe maybe she should not be taught in a classroom setting.

"Did Professor Flitwick tell you how I unintentionally banished a stack of books when I should have summoned them? And how the books hit Blaise Zabini who was sitting by the window?" She was crying again. "He almost fell out the window. When I tried to help, tried to keep the window from opening when he hit it, I instead opened the window! He was hanging from the ledge. I was the closest one to him, but he would not accept my help."

"Yes, uhh… I did hear about that incident."

"Oh, so then Professor Flitwick probably told you how my wand backfired and that poor Hufflepuff's eyebrows got burnt?"

"I did hear about that."

She buried her crimson cheeks in her hands.

"I just get so nervous," she admitted. "It is not that I cannot perform these spells or brew those potions. I can."

"I know you can." He tried to be reassuring, but in truth, he was not sure she could. He had yet to see her magical prowess or lack thereof.

"All of those people staring at me waiting for me to perform… I have trouble doing it." She continued, her face still hidden from her father's view. "Especially in your class… _ugh_! I knew those answers! I got an Outstanding in my Potions O.W.L. Did you know that?"

"No, I did not," he replied, surprised to hear that bit of information.

"And an Exceeds Expectations in both my Charms and Transfiguration O.W.L.s."

Again he was surprised to hear this information. Certainly he had received no indication in his lesson this morning that Anza was one of the top students in potions. She performed dismally, worse than dismal… she had been embarrassing, both to herself and to her father.

"Why did… how can you…" Severus tried very hard to word his questions in a way that would not send his emotional daughter back into another fit of tears.

"How can I make grades like that and cause terrible accidents in the classroom?" She worded the question for him.

"Uhh… yes."

"I guess it is because I get so nervous in a classroom. All of the students watching me, aware of what I am doing… the teacher watching me too, expecting my best. It is a lot of pressure. I do not do well under pressure."

That was the best description in Severus' opinion. There was no doubt in his mind that his daughter was intelligent. She showed signs of that at an early age. Given who her parents were, though he did not wish to make it seem as if he was conceited in any way, it would be a great surprise if she was _not_ a powerful witch in her own right. Magical ability is often passed down through the generations. Some families have natural abilities, like the Weasleys and the Malfoys. Magic comes easily to them, powerful magic comes easily to them. Other families, like the Blacks and the Diggorys, had strong reserves of magical ability, but often had to work harder to achieve the desired result. Magic came quite easily to both the Snape and Velousov families. Anza should have been one of the more powerful witches at her age already… if pedigree had anything to say about it.

"You cannot expect to have a day like today repeated," Severus carefully reminded his daughter. "You will need to work on that. You will need to do better under pressure."

"I know," she conceded. "Maybe whiskey would help calm my nerves."

Despite his better judgment, Severus found himself amused at that comment. He was relieved to see the glimmer of humor in his daughter's eye… she was not serious, or at least she was not completely serious.

"Your behavior towards me this morning was dreadful," Anza finally said to her father after they were sitting alone in the office in silence for several minutes.

"I had to treat you just like any other student, Anza," he defended himself, though he did not have the heart to condone what he had said or done to her that morning.

"According to Neville Longbottom you did not treat me just like any other student," she retorted. "He said he had never seen you that angry with anyone… and he said he should know after five years as your student."

"Perhaps I was a bit overzealous in my …"

"Thank you," she cut him off abruptly.

"Thank you?" Severus was thoroughly confused. She was thanking him for being a boar to her in the middle of a crowded classroom? That potion and the near dismemberment and the explosion in her classes that day must have befuddled her.

She laughed, openly laughed at his look of bewilderment.

"You made everyone in the class feel sorry for me today… that actually helped."

"How did it help?"

"I was so upset in the hospital ward that Madam Pomfrey and Neville had to both struggle with me to get me to take a potion. When I had calmed down sufficiently enough for Madam Pomfrey, she sent me off to the greenhouses for Herbology. The last place I wanted to be was anywhere that had my housemates in it. I was mortified and afraid they would not want anything to do with me.

"But… the moment I entered the greenhouse Pansy Parkinson came up to me and said, 'Oh, you poor girl. What an awful first day!' She and Daphne were quite friendly with me… even Millicent spoke to me for the first time since this summer. Eventually by the end of Blaise's accident… when I burst into tears for yet another time, most of the year of not only Slytherins but also Hufflepuffs were very kind to me.

"You being mean to me on not only my first day, but my first lesson, certainly earned me some sympathy… from all of the houses."

"I think I noticed that during dinner," he said, a bit disgruntled with the news that his ire had been the cause of Anza's newfound relationships. "Am I the reason Miss Parkinson and Miss Greengrass followed you out of the Great Hall?"

"No, you were not the reason," she responded. "But given everything that happened today combined with the terrible howler and yet another time I burst into tears, they were very kind to me. They seemed to be genuinely concerned about me. I have never experienced that from girls my age before."

Silence fell between the father and daughter once again. Severus was unsure hot to properly respond to his daughter's statement. Knowing that she moved a lot before finally settling five years in Belgium did certainly give credence to her statement that she had never had a lot of friends her age. Following the explosion in France, he would later learn thanks to Gwendolyn Wakefield's persistence in forcing Marina to take Veritaserum, his ex-wife and daughter traveled immediately to her uncle's family home on the Volga River. That had been the home of Marina's youth. Because she was supposed to be dead, Marina took her daughter to a dozen different homes in nine years spread out all over the world. That hardly gave Anza adequate opportunity to develop friendships.

"Oh," exclaimed Anza jumping off the desktop. "It is already eight o'clock. What would you like to do to serve my detention, sir?"

Severus did not revert back to the teacher – student relationship as Anza had quickly done at the stroke of eight. He was not done being a father. Looking at her weary face and her damaged robes… then noticing her red hands and arms where nasty boils had been earlier that morning, he found he could not bear to punish her even more than she had already had been. He was finding it difficult to be both father and teacher to this remarkable girl.

"No detention tonight, Anza," he said still in his father tone. "You have been through enough on your first day. Go back to the common room and rest up for tomorrow."

"I will try harder, Father," she assured him.

"Yes, I know you will."

As she stepped to the door leading out into the dungeon corridor, she turned to smile at her father.

"And be sure you continue to be mean to me in class."

* * *

Well… a promise was a promise and Severus had specifically promised to continue to be mean to his daughter in the classroom.

"Wrong, Miss Velousova!" He bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the potions classroom. "The potion should be orange, not gray!"

Severus used his wand to empty out Anza's cauldron full of the failed potion. She was not about to cry… but she certainly did have a nasty grimace on her face. The other students in the room began to quietly discuss how mean the professor was to his daughter in horrified tones. Most of them had gotten to know her over the first couple of weeks of classes and liked her. They, even the Slytherins, felt that Professor Snape was being entirely too unfair to his daughter.

"What is this?" The professor demanded of his daughter. He picked up a folded piece of parchment from the floor by her feet. "Reading notes in class, are we? Should I read this out loud?"

Anza gave him a look that made it obvious she wished he would fall over dead. Remembering his daughter's words to continue to be mean to her in class, Severus began to read the letter out loud to the class.

_No, Anza, I cannot bring a dragon up to Hogwarts to set loose on your father. What kind of sport would there be in that? And no, I do not know any of those curses you wished to learn. You should not wish to learn them either. There is a reason why many of them are illegal… and you certainly should never try to use them on a teacher. Come on, Anza, he is just your father… he is simply trying to teach you what he deems necessary to learn. He cannot be as bad as you say. Just give the whole situation more time. Eventually you will find yourself more comfortable._

Severus saw crimson rise on Anza's neck in a deep blush. The rest of the class noticed it too. They each in turn went back to working on their potion, again upset that a man would willingly embarrass his own daughter like that. While it was difficult for Severus to pick on Anza, he knew somehow, mostly because she assured him, that eventually she would garner enough sympathy points to make friendships. He did not like the idea. In fact, he hated it, but as he looked in the back of the room to see a private smile just for him flash across his daughter's face, he had to trust that she knew what she was doing.


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

Chapter Twenty-Two

People were dying every few days now. The war was raging furiously on all sides; there was not a single person in wizarding Britain not personally affected in some way by the attempt of Lord Voldemort's rise to power. Witches and wizards were dying who supported the Light side, the side of Albus Dumbledore who was effectively controlling the Ministry of Magic with a puppet government. Witches and wizards were also dying who supported the Dark side, the side of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Every day there seemed to be a one more article in the _Daily Prophet_ announcing one more death in this seemingly endless bloodbath.

It was quite simple to not feel a part of any of the events going on in the world outside of the Hogwarts castle while sitting in lessons day in and day out. Severus found that he often had to remind himself of the danger waiting not only for him but also for his family. Though the war raged he found himself rarely summoned to the Dark Lord's Inner Circle. This bit of knowledge worried him, but as was usual with the professor, he shared his fears with no one. As of then they were completely unfounded. His lack of useful information was swiftly making his job as spy for the Order of the Phoenix an absolute a waste of time. It seemed no one ever said anything of importance in his presence.

He had trouble sleeping. Since the return of his daughter in his life, his sleeping had returned to some resemblance of regularity. The dreams he had of her death were no longer frightening to them… he knew they were simply a decoy intended to get him to stop following his ex-wife. But now… something in his, something that stirred within him made it damn near impossible to sleep. He felt on the edge of something… something he did not know.

"Are you still awake?" Severus did not even have to turn to know who was speaking to him. Two people had access to his private chambers in the dungeons.

"I should take fifty points off of your house for being out of your common room so late."

His threat was empty and Anza knew it. Even though she had only been back in his life less than six months a sort of familiarity existed between the two. They were alike in many ways, too many ways to make Severus comfortable. Each had their own diminutive fuse, their own temper. They both found humor in the same events or words. Their brains worked in similar fashions, though naturally there were times when neither one of them could possibly fathom how or why the other was thinking the way they were.

"No," Anza calmly responded to her father. "You would not take off that many points unless you had the pleasure of an audience."

She was right of course. The only time he was ever willing to take so many points off of his own house was when he wished to make a point about a student's behavior. Rarely did he take off more than twenty points from Slytherin at any given time, but there had been a few occasions. His third year teaching a student in the fourth year turned his fellow Slytherin into a slug. Severus had never been that ruthless to a student before. Seventy points and three weeks worth of detentions later, the Slytherins were the best behaved, around their Head of House of course, students at Hogwarts.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Severus asked, his voice changing into a tone he had often heard from his own father. Mentally he made a note to himself not to allow that happen again.

"I had trouble sleeping," Anza admitted, sitting next to her father on the sofa by the fireplace.

"And you thought perhaps you would be able to sleep better in here?" He was pleased to say the least that his daughter had chosen to interrupt his late night stress and worry session, but he did not wish her to get into the habit of breaking too many school rules. Curfew was one the biggest. If she felt comfortable enough to just walk down the corridor in the middle of the night, she might soon find herself comfortable enough to wander the entire castle in the dead of night. That behavior was both foolish and dangerous.

"To be honest, I was a bit worried about you," she replied.

"Why?"

"I had a bad dream."

His eyes widened at this revelation. Was his daughter having some kind of vision? Since the revelation that the only form of magic his daughter seemed to be any good at was Divination, he found himself thinking everything was a sign or a vision. Never in his life had he taken that entire branch of magical theory seriously until the evening he witnessed a prophecy firsthand.

"What was the dream about?" Secretly after hearing from Sibyll Trelawny, (yet another secret meeting that he would never in his entire life wish to reveal to anyone) that his daughter had quite prescient dreams, he had studied up on the subject. There was always a book in the library about any subject he wished… except for the two most important ones he wished to know everything about – 1) How to Defeat the Dark Lord Once and For All and 2) Common Misconceptions, Common Misunderstandings, and Common Young Male Repelling Charms: How to Understand and Care For Your Teenage Daughter.

"Nothing for you to worry about," she snapped, seeing the anxiety and interest in her father's eyes. "Just a silly nightmare. I have been too tired lately… Winter Break cannot come quickly enough for me."

"What was the dream about?" He repeated his question, more firmly the second time around.

"You were sitting on the edge of the bed in your room when your left arm suddenly caught fire. Flames engulfed your entire arm, but you were not concerned by it. Silently and calmly you stood up. You began to walk through this room to that door. Instead of leading into the dungeons corridor, you stepped out into a dark, overgrown graveyard. No one was around you, but you walked through the rows of gravestones," she began describing against her better wishes.

"As you passed each gravestone they crumbled into dust. Ahead of you was an old dilapidated mansion. You walked into it… you had some sort of purpose. Down a long hallway you walked to the dining room. Two hooded men were standing in there, waiting for you. One kept his hood up the entire time, but the other pulled his down as you entered the room. He had long, silvery hair and a terrible smirk on his face. From behind him a girl my age emerged, but I couldn't see her face. It was too dark. You raised your wand at her; the blond man smiled a cold harsh, smile… green light shot out of your wand hitting the girl. She fell down… her face came into the light and she…"

"And she what?" Severus asked when he saw his daughter did not want to continue.

"It was just a silly dream!" Anza tried to reassure her father that her vision was nothing, but he persisted.

"She what?"

"She fell into the light and I saw… Father, it was me."

A tense silence fell between the two. What a terrible dream… and sadly knowing Lucius Malfoy… well, anything was possible if that man was in the mix.

"Is that when you woke up?" He asked, not entirely sure what to say to the revelation she had just made.

"Yes… I was worried about you. Thought maybe you feel asleep with your wand in your pocket and caught your bed on fire."

Even without the luxury of words spoken, they each knew that she was not telling the truth. She had been fearful of her dream. In fact she had been so fearful in what she had seen that she sat in bed for an hour trying to forget it… trying to assure herself that there was nothing wrong with her father. Finally she had to sneak out of the dormitory she shared with the other sixth year Slytherin girls, sneak past Gregory who had fallen asleep on a sofa in the common room for yet another night, and hope she would not be caught in the hall by Filch.

"What do you suppose this means?" He asked her, knowing that she was quite skilled in dream interpretation despite her guarantee to the contrary.

"It means something important," she blurted out, but stopped herself.

"What?" Severus was thoroughly curious now to hear what she thought.

Anza rose from her place on the couch. Tightening her dressing gown's belt around her, she crossed the room to the door.

"It means I should have refused to accept that chocolate frog from Greg before I went to bed," she said, before opening the door. "Sugar often gives me strange dreams."

* * *

The next day passed like any other day passed for Severus' during that time in his life. After a restless night's sleep, he got out of his bed before the sun even threatened to make its daily appearance. By the time he was showered and dressed, breakfast was about to begin to be served. A quick breakfast and then he was off to prepare for his first lesson of the day. Too many lessons and two meals later, he was back in his private quarters. Nothing extraordinary had happened. There had been no explosions, dismemberments or any other kind of minor injury in any of his lessons.

He was calmly sipping a steaming cup of tea, completely unaware that he was about to face one of those evenings where everything you believe, or once believed, comes into question. An owl fluttered into his bedchambers through the only window right about the time he was going to prepare for bed. His worn nightshirt was already in his hand. The owl dropped a thick letter, not even pausing to be certain the addressee received his post.

The handwriting seemed vaguely familiar to him. Who would be sending him a letter so late at night? Mail usually arrived over breakfast. Curious to know what the letter contained, Severus wasted no time in ripping it open. He carefully sat on the edge of his bed to begin reading.

_Dear Severus,_

_Please accept my most humble apologies that it is only now that I am writing to you for the first time. I myself am having difficulty believing that six months have already passed since I last said goodbye to your daughter Anza as she headed off toward Britain on her broomstick with Charlie Weasley. My name is Gwendolyn Wakefield. We went to school together, though I would hardly imagine you would remember me. I was not the particular Ravenclaw you had your eye on during our years at Hogwarts. Though you may not remember who I am, I certainly remember who you are. You showed me great kindness on numerous occasions. I was more than happy to care for Anza on your behalf, especially when I learned she belonged to you. You have every right to know the complete story, so I will try my best to share it._

_I met Anza five years ago when she was only eleven. In our humble little wizarding settlement there is a small school, funded privately by the parents of the children who wish to attend. My son Sean and I had already been living in the settlement for seven years when Marina Velousova arrived with her shy, but charming daughter. Anza entered our little school where I taught potions and defense against the dark arts. She was a remarkable student… when others were not around. It took me almost an entire year to realize that she did better in classes one on one with a tutor. Thankfully because our school is so small, the possibility of arranging private lessons for her was available. She thrives under personal attention, but is worse than dismal if too much pressure is applied. By now I am certain you have learned that lesson for yourself._

_Soon after Anza's arrival, it became apparent that Marina was not the most loving mother… or nurturing or any of the hundred other attributes a mother ought to possess. It is a shame that you, Severus, were not given the opportunity to watch her grow into the beautiful young woman she has become today. I feel quite guilty that I was able to be with her through five years, through five years you will never be able to get back. Please accept my apologies for that, though in truth, it really should be Marina asking for forgiveness. She often left for days or weeks at a time leaving Anza completely unattended. Our village is small. Marina and Anza took the cottage next to Sean's and mine. Anza and Sean were continually together, inseparable you might even say. I was so thankful for her… she was exactly the sort of friend that my Sean needed. When Marina would leave, Anza stayed over at our home. She was a welcome addition to our little family, I must say. What a curious and happy child she was away from the influence of her mother. I tried for many years to befriend Ms. Velousova, but found that to be ultimately unattainable._

_I would like you to know that I love Anza as much as if she was my own daughter. Throughout these past five years I have tried to always treat her well, to give her the kind of love and support she should have received from a mother. There was always great mystery surrounding whom her father was. She seemed so familiar to me… and that name, Speranza… it was all very familiar, but as you are undoubtedly aware, impossible for me to figure out whom she was. It was only in December that it suddenly struck me who Anza was. She had come over to escape her mother. They had just received word that Marina's uncle Miloslav had died. I looked at Anza, who was not sad to hear of that man's death in the least. They had never had any warm feelings towards each other. He was always comparing her to her mother… Anza always coming up short. I looked into her eyes and instantly I thought of you, Severus. Those eyes… those were your eyes and then of course I remembered the first Speranza Snape._

_Immediately I owled Remus Lupin the information I had. Naturally he was skeptical of it at first, but when he realized that I was not going to let the issue drop, he asked me to send a picture. It took him only a few seconds after seeing Anza's face to know that I was indeed telling the truth. Then… well, you are aware of what happened next. Remus and I did a great amount of research with my son aiding us. There were still so many questions, too many holes in the story. After waving goodbye to Anza and that delightful Mr. Weasley, I knew I had to force the information out of Marina._

_Veritaserum seemed to be the most obvious weapon of choice. I invited Marina over for tea when she returned to find her daughter had run off with Charlie. Unbeknownst to her I had dropped the truth potion into her tea. With as many questions as I could imagine to ask her, I was able to piece together quite a story that I am certain you would wish to know about._

_Marina felt that you were a coward for not helping the Lestranges and the younger Bartemius Crouch torture that poor Longbottom couple. They wanted answers to the whereabouts of their fallen Dark Lord. Marina was angry that you, you who sitting in the Hogwarts Castle so close to Albus Dumbledore and who probably knew a great deal more than they, chose to do nothing… chose to simply continue brewing your potions. She knew that to punish you she had to do something drastic, take the only thing you had ever loved from you. With the help of her horrible uncle, she concocted a plan to take Anza away from you. It was quite elaborate, I must say. First, she knew she had to employ one of the students in the castle to do her bidding… to find out the information she needed. She had not even considered your younger brother Sidonius until he just happened to enter the Three Broomsticks. She put him under the Imperius Curse, though I think you were already aware of this bit of information. I simply wish to confirm it with the story Marina gave._

_Once she had Anza out of the castle, she immediately went to her old lover Lucius Malfoy's home. He was not happy to see her and wished to have nothing to do with her plan. He tried to escape by Apparating to Borgin and Burkes, but she and Anza followed in the Floo. He wanted nothing more to do with her. According to Marina, that was the last time she ever saw that man again. In my opinion, never did two people deserve each other more than Marina and Lucius. After she left London she looked up some old friends in Dublin. This is of course, where you came in. She was furious and completely astounded that you were able to follow for as long as you were. Finally in France she was approached by your elder brother Simon. He offered her a great deal of gold if she would simply return Anza to her father._

_Marina pretended to accept the offer. She gave the location of the cottage she was staying at to Simon, so he could pass the information on to you. As soon as she received the gold into her Gringott's account, she was to give Anza up to you. That is the plan that she said, but not the plan she was actually developing.. She still wanted you to suffer for all that you failed to do. She knew you would never stop searching if you thought that Anza was alive. Again with the help of her uncle she planned an elaborate hoax. Strangely my son Sean's theory was almost perfectly accurate. Marina killed a young woman and girl after forcing them at knifepoint to take polyjuice potion. When you arrived at the cottage, she made certain you saw the two of them enter. The moment she and Anza crossed into the cottage a portkey was waiting to take them a hundred miles away. Three seconds after they left, Miloslav Kurach, who was waiting outside, detonated the explosion that you believed took your daughter's life. It was a horrendous plan that sadly worked all too well._

_Following a brief stay at her uncle's home, she took Anza to live in a Russian wizarding colony in Mongolia. They remained only about a year. For the next several years they never remained long in one place. They lived in three different cities in America, two in Canada, a colony in Bulgaria, Siberia for seven months, India another six, Chile, Ukraine, France and finally they settled in Belgium. The reasons they lived in so many places should be all too apparent. She feared that someone would recognize her or find out she kidnapped her daughter. In Belgium there was no fear in that. Everyone is here for their own reasons… we never speak of what brought us to live together in this place. Marina was able to find some peace._

_Our theories about the spells used to keep Anza hidden for so long were correct. They did indeed use an altered Fidelius Charm with Miloslav Kurach as the Secret Keeper. His death broke the charm, though Marina did not know until she heard from Lucius Malfoy that Anza had returned to Britain and was living with her father. Though she has not seen Lucius, he was able to break their many year silence to inform her of that the moment he broke out of Azkaban. Again I must refer to him as a horrible man. She is still quite angry about her daughter's running away, but I do not see her as posing a problem to you further. She only just recently discovered she has a very rare form of cancer that has no effective treatment, neither magical nor Muggle. Her desire to see you pay has seemed to have died right along with her uncle. She will be moving back to Russia soon, to live the rest of her days in the place where she began life. I sincerely believe this is the last we will hear from Marina Velousova. Though I know I should wish her peace in her final few months of life, I find that I lack the compassion. What she did in life should not grant her a peaceful death._

_I wanted you to know the full story of what happened to your daughter so many years ago. Perhaps I could have been more descriptive and flowery with my words, but somehow I believe you simply wanted the straight facts. Hopefully I have answered any lingering questions you might have still had. Occasionally I receive an owl from Anza. She appears to have blossomed in her homeland. She is very happy to be back with her father. I am confident you are aware of the gift you have in Miss Speranza. She is a joy. I hope this finds you well._

_Sincerely, Gwendolyn Wakefield_

Severus had hardly time at all to process the information he had just received in his letter from Remus' lover when he was summoned. The mark on his arm that had lain dormant for too long for him to be entirely comfortable, began to burn with an intensity he had never known. Usually when he was summoned, he felt an uncomfortable burn for only a few moments. This time however… he could hardly hold his arm up. Whatever was happening was urgent.

Gathering up his dark robes and Death Eater mask, Severus carefully stowed them in his pocket before exiting his private chambers. To his great surprise, or perhaps it was not a surprise to him at all, Anza was waiting for him out in the corridor.

"You are going to the graveyard, aren't you?" She demanded, not bothering to lower her voice though sound carried quite far in the corridor at midnight.

"Miss Velousova, you are out of bed past curfew," he responded, adopting his professor persona. "Fifteen points from Slytherin and a detention next Thursday with me."

"Who is going to administer the detention when you never come back, Professor?" She was fuming, angrier than Severus had ever seen her.

"Go to bed, Anza," he demanded as her father, not willing to take no as an answer. His arm was still burning furiously. He could hardly stand the pain.

"Promise me you will be careful," she said, before allowing herself to be pushed into the Slytherin Common Room.

"I will be careful."

The walk from deep within the Hogwarts dungeons to the Apparation point just outside of the gates had never felt that long for Severus before. Oh, certainly he had some long walks on his way to see the Dark Lord. The night after he volunteered, or rather was volunteered, to be a spy for the resistance movement, Severus could hardly stand the wait. He felt that he was on his way to his death, that someone had found out about his disloyalty. A dozen times since that fateful night, when he did not lose his life, he had also felt that sinking fear that he was walking his last walk through the Hogwarts' grounds.

Taking a deep breath before Apparating, Severus found himself a moment later in the same Muggle graveyard he had been in what felt like a thousand times. Each moment he spent there were moments filled with terrible memories. How many times had he been submitted to the Cruciatus Curse amongst these mossy headstones? How many times had he heard and been forced to celebrate the death of another innocent life around those macabre mausoleums?

While Severus made a trip through a haunting memory lane, he did not notice the half a dozen or so robed figures skulking in the shadows. He was usually quite cognizant of his surroundings, more a habit as a Hogwarts professor than a spy really.

"Perfingo!" a figure shouted from behind the particularly large headstone of Major Thompson S. Wolcott, Beloved Husband and Father. The stream of orange light shot out of the figure's wand, but to his great benefit, Severus was swift. Taking cover behind another principally ornate headstone, he was knocked backwards as the spell hit the headstone. The tombstone crumbled to pieces in front of him.

"Knock it off, Avery!" shouted a voice somewhere on Severus' left. "Gods, man, it's Severus!"

The somewhat dry-mouthed potions professor recognized the voice of his school friend Gary Goyle. He was the one who was trying to keep the others hiding in the graveyard from killing the wizard who had just arrived. Emerging from the shadows, Severus found Gary to be exactly the same as he had been before he was sent to Azkaban. Even just a few weeks in that prison caused most prisoners to go completely mad, but Gary did not look altered in the least.

"What do you think you were doing coming out of nowhere like that, Sev?" Gary asked him, taking his hand in a firm shake.

"I was unaware that there would be anyone waiting in the shadows for my arrival," he replied acerbically. "What is the meaning of all of this?"

"Guard duty," Gary replied, but then noticing the perplexed look on Severus' face, began to explain. "Every night a few of us are selected to guard this area and the area around the manor."

"Have I been summoned here for guard duty?" Severus asked, fervently hoping that the answer was no. He had no wish to waste his time lolling about in the muck waiting for intruders. His time had more value than that.

"No," he answered quickly. "You are needed in the manor. The Dark Lord is waiting for you personally."

"Have you any idea what this is about?" Severus tried to hide the anxiety in his voice, but he knew that was fruitless.

"Not a clue."

Knowing for certain that that was not the first thing that evening or the last that Gary Goyle had no clue about, Severus continued on the trek through the graveyard towards the old manor. Gary was not exactly what one would call intelligent or gifted. His sort, his and Vincent Crabbe, Sr.'s sort, were more suited to the manual labor and bidding of others with a bit more aptitude than they. Lucius Malfoy had no doubt discovered that when he stole his younger brother's two best friends from him. He knew they were willing to do what they were told and their strength and dogged loyalty were important assets.

Severus had never before entered the crumbling Riddle House until that evening. He had seen it from a distance a number of times, but rarely were the Death Eaters invited inside. This bit of knowledge served to make his stomach twist into knots once more. What did the Dark Lord want from him? What was the purpose of this meeting? None of his questions were answered before he came to the realization that his feet were carrying him into the direction of the decrepit dining room. The room that had once been quite elegant was anything but. Large, silvery cobwebs hung in every corner, every nook, every cranny. The furniture that was quite grand and spectacular in their own day was falling to bits gradually. A film of dust covered everything in sight. It was in one word, dismal.

"Ahh, Severus, how kind of you to join us." Lord Voldemort's high-pitched shriek of a voice always unnerved Severus to his very core. How one being could make such a noise was beyond him. Remembering what was expected of him when he first came into the presence of the Dark Lord, Severus immediately prostrated himself at the feet of his 'master' to kiss the hem of his robe. Satisfied in his obeisance, Voldemort kicked Severus' face upright to indicate he was to rise. Smarting at the blow to his face, the renegade Death Eater slowly rose to his feet. "Lucius Malfoy feared that you had given false information when we met the night of my coming out party."

"I would never purposely give you false information, my Lord," Severus kept his voice at a steady octave, though his nerves threatened to do something else.

"You claimed your daughter was dead," Voldemort said, his ethereal tone causing the hair on the back of Severus' neck to stand. "As Lucius has only just informed me, she is indeed very much alive and living in your care at Hogwarts."

"Yes, my Lord, my daughter is indeed alive," Severus admitted, his heart racing frantically within his chest. "But I only recently learned that she was alive. Her mother faked her death when she was a child and kept her hidden from me for all of these years.

"Crucio!"

Severus' body began to twitch under the spell that had become all too common for him. He had lost count of the number of times that particular brand of punishment had been inflicted up on him. He wished he could say that repeated exposure caused a person to feel less pain; more exposure did not desensitize a person to the sensation that only that illegal pain curse could create. Despite his best wishes, Severus found himself screaming in agony under the spell. When He Who Must Not Be Named felt that his minion had been punished enough for failing to inform him of his daughter's rebirth, the dark wizard lowered his wand.

"Perhaps that will teach you to not keep secrets from your master!" Voldemort spat out at the gasping Severus. "Though I daresay Lucius has a much better plan than I. So… I shall leave you alone."

Lucius Malfoy chose that moment to make his entrance into the dilapidated dining room. He looked smug, something was obviously amusing to him.

"How nice to see you again, Severus," he said with little to no sincerity. "I was beginning to wonder when we would have the pleasure again."

"What is going on?" Severus demanded, trying to keep calm, even though the man in front of him was one of his very least favorite people in the world. "Why was I brought here?"

"The Dark Lord, and I could not agree more with him, fears once more that perhaps your loyalties have changed since accepting that teaching position at Hogwarts."

"My loyalties will always be to the Dark Lord… for the rest of my life I will serve him." That was Severus' largest fear… that forever, for the entirety of his life he would be forced to bow before that hideous excuse for a wizard. He longed for a life away from all of this, away from the fear and the death and bowing and scraping of knees. He longed for a happy existence with his daughter. Most importantly of all, he longed to be able to give his daughter the opportunity to live a world free from the fear that plagued him each morning he woke up and each evening he went to sleep. Never for a single moment was he parted from the fear that caused his heart to constrict at random times. He never knew when his day of judgment would come.

"I may be inclined to believe that… and pass on my beliefs to the Dark Lord who will most likely put all of his fears to rest if…"

Lucius loved to keep everyone waiting for his revelations. It gave him a sense of power that he otherwise would not have. If ever there was a person who lusted after power it was Lucius Malfoy.

"If what, Lucius?" Severus had no wish to play any of Malfoy's games.

"Why have we not received any useful information about Hogwarts from you yet?" Lucius was not quite ready to divulge his secret, the one thing that Severus could do to ensure his complete and total loyalty to the Dark Lord and his sinister purpose.

"There has been very little to give," Severus responded truthfully. He was often asked to remove himself from the presence of the Headmaster when Albus wished to say something truly important. Naturally if whatever Albus had to say needed to be said to Severus he would be down into the dungeons to call not on his teacher, but his friend Severus. This was a sneaky way of beating any tricks that Voldemort or his supporters might use. When Severus said he did not know anything from the Headmaster, had not learned anything about the Headmaster's plans, he was not lying. Even Veritaserum could not be used against him. Now if he was ever asked what he had gathered from speaking with Albus… well, that was an entirely different story.

"Do you hear nothing in that school?" Lucius demanded.

"The Headmaster does not speak in my presence about certain matters."

"And yet he trusts you?"

"He trusts me to a point… but he would never willingly divulge pertinent information to me about his plans to hurt our cause. I fear he knows about my past, about my involvement with the first war. He does not feel he can trust me with that kind of information. As far as with the children and how the school is run, he trusts me implicitly. He does not, however, share top secret plans with me."

Lucius appeared to be satisfied by that answer. Again by simply referring to Albus Dumbledore as the headmaster, Severus was not lying. Though he would have been able to lie straight to Malfoy's face, he could take comfort in the fact that he was not lying… entirely.

"We need information about Sibyll Trelawny," Lucius announced.

"What do you need to know?"

"Right now we have an operative on our side inside the castle… but we do not know the correct passwords to find her when she is on her own. Too often she is surrounded by students or locked away in her tower. We need access."

"I will do all that I can to find the passwords," Severus responded.

"Excellent. We need her to find out the rest of that damned prophecy that has been an obsession for the Dark Lord. We have to find it."

Lucius was silent for a few moments as he thought of something Severus did not know. His mind seemed to always be spinning its tracks, trying to find some new way to make a galleon or gain a little more influence.

"Is that all that you require of me this evening?" Severus asked, sending a prayer to whoever was listening that the answer would be yes.

Lucius' face curled into a sinister grin.

"I have been left with the task to ensure your complete and total loyalty."

He opened a door off the side of the dining room to pull a small figure into the space with them. The room was dark, a single torch on the opposite side of the room provided the only light. Lucius dragged the young woman, for Severus could now make out the features of a young teenager. Pulling her into the light radiating in the room from the moonlight shining through a large window, Severus felt he was going to vomit when he saw the face of the bound girl. Lucius Malfoy was dragging his daughter in the room… his precious Anza.

"What the hell is this?" Severus demanded, rushing to stop Lucius from touching his daughter.

"Impedimenta!" Lucius had always been quick with a spell when the moment required one.

Anza was struggling at the ropes, desperately trying to kick Lucius at every opportunity she got. When she looked up at her father with intensely pleading eyes, Severus, against all the warnings that exploded within his head, began to empty the contents of his stomach. He could not just stand there while Lucius did something terrible to his daughter. He had only just got her back. How cruel could one wizard be?

"You have quite the beautiful daughter, Severus," Lucius calmly commented as he pulled the girl to her feet. He spoke as if he were simply admiring portraits of Anza.

"Let her go," Severus pleaded, his voice unaffected by the spell. "She has done nothing wrong!"

"Oh, no, you are right. Miss Anza has done nothing wrong… but her father… well, that is an entirely different story."

Immense tears began to drop from Anza's eyes as she looked helplessly from the man who held her captive to the man who wished to save her, but could not. Severus had never before seen her so scared. And to make the entire situation worse, Anza had warned him this would happen! Why did he not listen to her? Why did he not have her under lock and key before he answered his summon? Why? Why? Why? In those moments that was the only question he could ask himself.

"While I cannot say much for the looks of Snape men," Lucius continued, leering at Anza in a way that made no secret to anyone in the room exactly what he was thinking, what he was wishing he could do. "Snape women have always been quite handsome. Your sister Speranza, Severus… oh, how I wished I could act out some of my fantasies with her when she lived in our house. I used to get aroused just thinking about her… just looking at her sitting across the table at every meal. I used to dream that I would catch her alone in the manor."

Oh Severus had always hated the man standing before him, the man making all of those terribly inappropriate comments about Severus' late sister, but Severus had never hated him with more intensity than he did at that moment.

"It was a terrible shame Father had to kill her," Lucius persisted. "There were so many things I did not have a chance to do to her."

Lucius would be only a faint memory if looks could kill. As Severus was completely impeded by that damned spell he should have known was coming and should have shielded himself from, all he could do was stare at Malfoy.

"I see much of the first Speranza in this younger Speranza." His eyes lingered on Anza in such a way that made Severus sick. Anza only began to cry harder. "I may get my chance yet to do what I wanted to do with your sister, Severus, but with a particularly delightful twist… to your daughter."

With all of Severus' might he tried to resist the curse. He tried to break free of the tiny box it felt he was trapped in. Nothing worked. Lucius was an extremely powerful wizard.

"To ensure your complete loyalty to the Dark Lord, Severus, you will kill your own child."

The words entered his mind, but Severus could not believe them. He was going to be forced to kill Anza? He was going to be expected to kill his daughter that he only recently was reunited with? He knew Lucius was a sick son of a bitch, but he had no idea how bad.

"I would never harm a hair on my child's head," Severus spat back.

"Then you both will die," Lucius warned. "That is your decision, Severus. Either you kill Anza and get to live… or you refuse and you both die."

"I would give my life for hers!"

"I know you would, my friend, but that is sadly, not an option. Anza will die tonight. She will either die at your hand or she will die because of you. Whichever way you choose, you will watch. You will actually witness the death of your precious daughter."

Severus looked at young girl he had become so attached to over the past few months. Her big, green eyes were filling up with tears… begging him, pleading him to save her life. She … wait, a moment! The girl had green eyes. How could she possibly be Anza if her eyes were green? His daughter had his own eyes. A closer look at the girl showed flecks of blonde hair mix in with her raven hair. This was not his daughter! Lucius had fooled him. This had been an elaborate test. Wishing to have been given any task to do other than this, Severus knew that in order to keep himself and more importantly, his daughter safe, he would have to kill this girl, whoever she was.

"Perhaps I was too hasty in my decision. More children can always be born to replace the ones that have been lost. My life is more important than hers," Severus spat out, both shocking and pleasing Lucius. "If my Lord wishes me to prove my loyalty to him by killing my only child, then release me from my bonds."

Lucius did just as was requested. Feeling sick to his stomach, Severus raised his wand to point at the girl…

"Avada Kedavra!"

Green light shot out of the end of Severus' wand striking the girl in the chest. She was dead before she even was aware of what had just happened to her. Pleased with the action of his fellow Death Eater, Lucius clapped him on the back.

"I expect the Dark Lord will never waver in his trust of you," Lucius said. "You were willing to give up what mattered to you most just to prove you were still loyal to your master. He will be pleased."

"I would do anything for my master," Severus replied, knowing that if his daughter's life were at stake, he would indeed be willing to do whatever Voldemort wished him to.

"There is no need to fear for Anza," the blonde wizard announced.

Immediately at his words the Anza-like features of the girl disappeared. The dead girl was a stranger to Severus. He had never seen her before in his life.

"Who is that!" Severus demanded at the sight of the girl.

"Oh, her?" Lucius laughed. "Just a random Muggle Gary found for me in the village. No one important."

"How did you…?"

"As a certified potions master you cannot take a guess?"

"Polyjuice?"

"Certainly… one of my favorite potions if I must say so. Brilliant invention."

Lucius began to exit the dining room, beckoning Severus to pursue. He managed to succeed in following the wizard out into the hall despite his legs' threats to collapse beneath him.

"You may return to the castle, Severus," Lucius announced. "But take heed… If I was able to get close enough to Anza to take a part of her to add to the polyjuice, it would be no problem for me to do it again."


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

Chapter Twenty-Three

Winter Break descended on Hogwarts right as an eerie pseudo-peace fell upon wizarding Britain. Attacks were fewer on Muggles and those deemed enemies of He Who Must Not Be Named. The air was thick with tension and traces of terror, but nothing was happening. It was almost like that unbearable year following Voldemort's return when only a few actually knew of his reemergence. Everyone who did know had been on edge, waiting for the ax to fall. Now… now that his return was common knowledge, everyone was waiting anxiously. Everyone feared the worst would happen in only a moment's time. It was a dreadful way to begin the Holiday season.

"Will you be remaining in the castle for the break, Severus?" Albus asked calmly one afternoon in the staff room.

"Not this year, Headmaster," Severus replied, looking up from his book at the elder wizard. "Anza and I are returning to our family home to spend the break with my younger brother and his family."

"Ahh, yes, Sidonius." Albus chuckled at the thought of the young boy who was perpetually in trouble. Speranza and Severus had indeed been right about him. He was in trouble before the third day of his first year. A constant reminder of the mischief young people could create, Albus always thought that Sidonius Snape would have been good friends, too good of friends with Fred and George Weasley. "How big is his family now?"

"He married Veda Horton when they were straight out of Hogwarts eleven years ago. They have a son, Dermot, who just turned one earlier this month… and now a daughter, Brenna, born just a few days ago."

"I would imagine Miss Anza is grateful to have such a family after her many years living on the run," Dumbledore said as he rose from his armchair. "If you will excuse me, Severus, I have some affairs to look to before the holidays begin tomorrow. Have a good evening."

Christmas holidays at the Snape Manor had never been particularly joyous affairs. Mother Snape ordered the house elves to decorate in the gaudy, not entirely elegant manner that she enjoyed. All of the Snape children were instructed that they were not to touch the decorations in any way. They were there for show, not to be enjoyed by the members of the family still forced to abide beneath the roof. Now that a new Snape family was in residence in those cold stone walls, decorating for Christmas became a new, happy, grand affair.

"I am so jealous," exclaimed Anza busy holding her youngest cousin Brenna. "You three get to use magic to decorate and I just get to watch."

Veda, Sidonius and Severus were busy decorating the large lounge that the family spent most of their time in. Because she was not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts, Anza was impatient that she was unable to join in the fun.

"Could we not let her do a little of the decorating, Severus?" Sidonius asked. He was busy adding live fairies to the twenty-foot Christmas tree.

"She is more than welcome to help," Severus began. Anza looked excited. She put Brenna down in a bassinet and pulled her wand out of her pocket. "As long as she does it without magic."

Anza resembled a balloon that had recently been deflated. Her spirits sunk. Sulking she put her wand back into the pocket of her robes.

"That takes all the fun out of it," she muttered to herself, but the three adults in the room all caught her words and quietly chuckled.

"Ahh, come on Severus, let the girl do at least a couple of spells," Sidonius pleaded on his favorite niece's behalf. He gave her a clandestine wink and she smiled brightly.

"Absolutely not," Severus replied resolutely. "Underage magic is against the law, Sidonius. No doubt I do not have to remind you of that. How many warnings did you get from the Improper Use of Magic office in your day? How many times did you have to accompany Father to the Ministry to keep yourself from getting expelled?"

That reminder shut Sidonius up immediately. Though he would not willingly admit it to his elder brother, especially not in the presence of his wife and niece, he had received no less than twelve warnings from the Ministry before his seventeenth birthday. It was to his great benefit that Snape gold made it into the right hands. His father would have done everything possible to keep his youngest and second favorite son out of the trouble he always seemed to find himself in.

Later that evening when the Snape Manor positively reeked with Christmas cheer, Severus knew he had to have a conversation with his daughter that he did not wish to have. Since the night he killed the Muggle girl he had had trouble speaking with his daughter. They both were on edge. He never mentioned what happened that night, but somehow he got the feeling that Anza already knew. A quick search of the newly decorated home found Anza curled up on a sofa in his library, reading a long letter that was from Charlie Weasley, no doubt. They wrote each other every few days.

"May I speak with you a moment, Anza?" He asked his daughter formally before seating himself across from her.

"Sure," she said, though her heart was not in the response. They had not had a private conversation since the night she stopped him in the dungeon corridor.

"Do you recall the dream you had about me entering the graveyard?" Severus knew the question was silly. Of course she remembered the terrifying dream she had where her father had been forced to kill her. Those are nightmares not easily forgotten, no matter how much you wish you could.

"Yes." Her voice was small. Anza could not even look her father in the eye. With one question, the professor had managed to alter her mood. Before she had been extremely happy. She had just had a wonderful day with her family despite the fact that her father would not allow her to perform illegal magic to help decorate their home. Charlie had written her an extra long letter. The Christmas mood was beginning to make itself home in her. She had never before had a happy Christmas… at least not one she could remember. Somehow she knew the ones she shared with her father had been very joyous… before… before her mother had ruined her childhood.

"And do you recall the man with the blonde hair in your dream?"

"He is not easily forgotten, Father."

"Your dream… was that the only time you saw him?"

She looked at her father with widened eyes. Anza was obviously confused by the question. Did she not just say that he was a man not easily forgotten? If she had seen him, actually been in his presence, she would not have even waited for her father to ask that question before she told him.

"I have only seen him in dreams," she responded, dropping her gaze to the carpet.

"Dreams? Have you had more than one?"

"He has been in my dreams twice."

Something inside him stirred and Severus found himself uncomfortable with that revelation. He had no proof that Lucius had been anywhere near his daughter. Malfoy might have simply employed one of the Slytherins to take a strand of her hair during a lesson or in the common room. There was nothing that suggested that Lucius had actually, physically taking the bit of Anza from her… nothing, but Severus' gut… and his gut had rarely led him down the wrong path before.

"The dream I do not know about," Severus began, careful to word his question in a way so as not to frighten his daughter or make her suspicious. "What was it about? And… _where_ did you have it?"

"The dream itself was not too interesting," she replied hesitantly. "He just stood over me… leered at me." Anza shuddered at the memory.

"Anything else?"

"He said something strange though."

"What was it?"

"He said… 'See how close I can get to your daughter, Severus'. And then…"

Severus was quickly having his suspicions confirmed that Anza was not recalling a dream, but an actual event.

"And then what?" He demanded, perhaps a little too forcefully.

"What is this all about?" She demanded right back.

"What did he do after he said that!"

"He pulled some of my hair out."

Lucius had been the one to take the bit he needed for the polyjuice potion. He had been the one to physically remove his daughter's hair straight from her head. The knowledge did not comfort Severus in the least.

"Where did you have this dream?" He needed to know… he needed to know where Lucius found himself alone with his daughter. A dangerous wizard on the run from the Ministry, almost all of the students would have been able to identify Lucius Malfoy on sight.

"I was in the library," Anza answered, an edge of nervousness present in her voice. "It was really late… I had been studying for an Arithmancy exam. You know how bloody awful I am if I do not study. Sometime in the middle of the night I dreamed he was there with me. When I woke up, he was gone. It was just a dream."

"Where in the library were you?" If she had been in the main studying area, Madam Pince would have shooed her out of there before curfew.

"One of the back study rooms near the Restricted Section. I needed some privacy. Draco, Theodore and Vincent had been bothering me when I was in the main area."

"Do not go into those rooms alone again, Anza," He ordered, taking a tone that was a mixture of both his father tone and his professor tone.

"Why not?" She was not one to simply take an order without an explanation. How very much like her father she was.

"Because Lucius Malfoy is a very powerful and dark wizard. He would kill you if given half a chance or if he felt it would benefit him somehow in the long run. You need to stay as far away from him as you possibly can. He cannot come upon you alone like that again."

Anza, for once, said nothing; only gulped.

* * *

Severus felt like a child on Christmas morning for perhaps the first time in his entire life. Knowing that for once there was love and joy within those cold, stone walls, he felt certain that this year would be his best Christmas ever. The sun had not yet risen when he quietly dressed for the day. Anticipation and excitement were emotions he was feeling for the first time on a Christmas morning. He was in a terribly good mood.

"Happy Christmas, Basmus." His good cheer extended itself to his daughter's cat that had virtually adopted Severus as his new owner. Basmus' name meant 'kingly' and it was his job to make certain that every human he met knew how special he was and how much they should fawn over him. An often grumpy animal, Basmus saw something he liked in the sour potions professor. The feline hated staying in the Slytherin dormitories. Maybe it was because it felt too common to him or maybe it was because Millicent Bulstrode's infamous cat was entirely too playful for Basmus.

Severus hurried to the family's lounge. He wanted to be there when Anza arrived. Somehow that felt natural… to be there to share another Christmas with his daughter. Fighting back feelings about all of the Christmases he missed out on and the two he had before she was taken from him, Severus threw open the doors to the lounge quietly. To his great surprise he was the last person to arrive. Checking his pocket watch, he knew it was six in the morning. No one in his family woke up before ten on holidays. And he knew that Anza had to be dragged out of bed by Millicent or Daphne every morning before class. His love of mornings had not extended to his daughter.

"Happy Christmas, Father!" Anza hugged her father tightly. He never did tire of this show of affection from her.

Sidonius was as excited as a four year old. His older brother found himself recalling how excited he used to get when they were children. Christmas never held much joy for Severus, but for Sidonius… well, like many events in their lives, it was different. Little Dermot was toddling over to his father. He could hardly stand on his own, but he, like his father, was into everything. The moment he took his first step, Veda had to go throughout the mansion putting protective spells on everything. Speaking of his mother, Veda held on to little Brenna. Severus' sister in law tried to hide her yawns and weary eyes, but she failed and failed miserably.

When the gifts had all been exchanged and the recipients ever grateful, the Snape family waited impatiently for Christmas luncheon to be served.

"I wonder if I could ask you a rather large favor, Father," Anza said when they were all seated at the table for the traditional meal.

"What sort of favor?" He asked calmly, though to be perfectly honest a little nervous by the mischievous glint she had in her eye.

"Charlie's family likes to have a big family meal during the day on Christmas… but he said the real fun begins after seven."

"Are you asking if you can go over to the Weasleys this evening?"

"Uhh… yes?"

That Christmas had already been beyond his wildest dreams. How often had Severus wished and dreamed for a fraction of what had already happened that day? He on no account expected to spend a holiday like that. His expectations were fulfilled.

"Certainly," he responded, granting her a rare smile. "But only if it has been approved by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley."

"They already gave their permission."

It did Severus' heart good to see his daughter so happy. There was a time when he feared she would be unable to get over what had happened in her past. Too often she used to stare off into space, no doubt her mind traveling to her not so distant past with her mother. She had been beyond humiliated that night of the prophecy, though everyone present was amazed by what had happened… especially considering the prediction came true. Her first day at Hogwarts had been completely awful. Though she would not have willingly admitted it to anyone, Severus knew that she was afraid that no one would accept her in her new school. She was often fearful and melancholy. It was indeed hard to accept that the one person who seemed to make her happiest was not her father… but a Weasley. Remembering what young love was like, how innocent, how pleasurable, he was able to stop his thoughts about Charlie Weasley from going anywhere unpleasant.

* * *

With an entire evening to do with as he pleased, Severus found himself not wanting to read any of the half a dozen or so books he received as gifts. He also did not have a potion of his own creation to work on. There was something he needed, something he wanted to work on, but unfortunately for him, the literature he knew to exist on his top-secret project were located within the Order Headquarters.

For months he had been working to perfect a kind of truth telling potion that could aid the resistance movement immensely. He had been discussing it after a meeting one evening with Fleur Delacour, who as it turned out, was extremely gifted in potions. The two of them had been working on theories and practical applications. That kind of work was what really gave Severus purpose. He liked to keep busy. Now that he had an entire evening to work alone in the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, he was not going to let the opportunity pass him by.

A study on the first floor of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place had been converted into a potions lab. Severus had put Fleur to the task to make sure the room was properly stocked. This is where she was often found when she was not busy with Gringotts or Bill Weasley. The potions master wasted no time before throwing himself into work. Before he realized it, two hours had passed.

"Professor?" A voice shocked him out of his potions world into reality. "Are you working on Christmas?"

"Yes, Miss Granger. The Dark Lord will not stop his torments and plans simply because it is December 25th."

He did not mean to be as cold as he was, but sometimes that girl bothered him. Especially since the night she found out about Anza… and the night she walked in on him crying. Hermione Granger had never looked at him the same way after that evening. At first he thought he was seeing only pity in her eyes where before he had only seen contempt. Now… now it was something completely different, but he could not quite figure out the emotion.

"Even V-Voldemort has to take a break now and again."

Damn it, she was right. How he hated it when she was right. Dropping his quill, he looked up at the young woman who had entered the room without an invitation. Wanting to read her, but respecting her privacy, Severus found that his first impulse took over. Without her knowledge he tried to read her thoughts, her emotions. He wanted to know what it was he saw every time she looked at him. It unnerved him to the very core. Using every bit of power he possessed as a Legilimens, he was surprised to find she was unreadable.

"Am I to assume that you have taken it upon yourself to study Occlumency?" He asked in a cold voice, though clearly impressed.

"In this world, one can never be too prepared." She looked him straight in the eye, but Severus could not read her.

"If only your friend Mr. Potter could have learned to apply himself to the study as well as you seem to have. Though I would not wish you to repeat this to anyone, I am impressed with your skill, Miss Granger."

Hermione blushed a deep red at that comment. High praise from Professor Severus Snape was rare indeed. She certainly never expected to be at the end of a sincere compliment from him.

"Thank you, professor."

Severus was genuinely interested in how this young lady came to learn that skill. Occlumency was not an easy skill to learn even with an excellent and experienced teacher. Somehow he got the feeling that Miss Granger had learned everything she knew about that form of magic from a book. She seemed the type. He was quite familiar with researching everything in books himself.

"Who taught you?" He asked a bit harshly.

"I taught myself," she quietly admitted, averting her eyes from the piercing glare of her professor. "Before tonight I never had to use it… before tonight it was only a bunch of theories swirling around in my head. I had never had any practice before…"

Something in her face changed when she said that. First she looked mildly embarrassed and a bit proud of herself when she was given the compliment about her Occlumency skills. Then she appeared nervous and more than just a little embarrassed. But… after making her last comment, Hermione became angry and even downright defiant.

"Why were you trying to read me?" She demanded. Something in her tone made Severus all too aware that he was not going to get away without answering the question to her complete satisfaction.

"A habit," he said, partially the truth, partially his own his curiosity could lay blame to his Legilimency.

"You should not take such liberties."

Severus had never seen Miss Granger so angry. They were usually only in each other's presence in the Hogwarts castle. There were rules of conduct and etiquette there shaping all of their actions. Sitting with her potions professor in the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione found herself not concerned that she was speaking in that manner to Severus Snape. As they were not at school, she did not have to take everything that he said or did. She was seventeen. In their world she was a full-fledged, legal adult witch. That was a fact that Severus was having trouble forgetting.

"A person's memories and emotions are highly personal," she lectured the man who often lectured her. "Certainly, you of all people should understand that."

Her words were biting, and Severus felt himself feeling shame at his earlier action. Yes, he was well aware of what it was like to have his thoughts continually peered at by another person. It was highly invasive.

"Yes… uhh, my apologies," Severus said under his breath. He was sincere, but somehow apologizing to a student of his, especially that particular student, was not on his list of things he wished to do.

Hoping to steer the tense conversation in another direction, as she did greatly enjoy talking with her potions professor whether he was aware of it or not, Hermione moved closer to him to see what he was working on. Severus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He was more than aware of how close the young woman was to him. She did not seem to notice or be bothered by her proximity to Severus. Her attention was more focused on his notes and potion theories. Try as hard as he could, the potion master's thoughts were not on his potion. He was all too conscious of the scent of Hermione's hair.

"What are you working on?" Hermione was always intrigued with new potions, especially if they were obviously top secret for the Order.

Severus hesitated in his response. This project of his and Miss Delacour's was highly sensitive and private. News of it could spread to the ears of those who did not need to know. Severus, if not careful, could easily find himself brewing the intended potion for the Dark Lord to use against the wrong side. Naturally he did not want to risk that chance… but he knew Miss Granger would keep the secret if asked. Was she not the only student to realize what Remus Lupin was the year he assigned the essay on werewolves? She kept that secret, even from her two very best friends for most of the year. Yes, Hermione Granger could be trusted.

"It is a variation on a truth serum," he answered, but not before clearing his throat.

"Like Veritaserum?" She was very curious. _Just like her_, Severus thought. Always looking at projects and ideas that were not her own. She seemed to have an obsession with discovering how everything she came into contact with worked. He believed she was a highly clever and no doubt a highly capable witch, regardless of what he said to her face, especially in the potions classroom. At once he found himself grateful at the knowledge that they were on the same side. Hermione Granger was an indispensable ally, but she would make a terrifying enemy.

"Many of the properties are the same," he said in response to her question. "Here I am trying to think of a way to fix some of the unbeneficial aspects of Veritaserum. Can you think of the reasons that Veritaserum can cause problems if the Order tried to use it?"

As a force of habit, Hermione immediately threw her hand in the air. Quickly remembering herself she lowered her arm and broke out in a deep, furious blush. Before he could stop himself, as he should have done, Severus allowed a quiet chuckle to escape from him. She was always so eager to answer questions. If only more students shared her same enthusiasm he might not feel like he was teaching a bunch of dunderheads. Also remembering himself, Severus instantly turned his face back to its usual emotionless mask.

"Some of the problems, Miss Granger?"

"Veritaserum is one of the most difficult and time consuming potions to brew."

"Yes."

"Its consumption is controlled by strict Ministry guidelines."

"Yes, that is another one." He was pleased with her answers. "What is perhaps the greatest and most obvious problem Veritaserum poses?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she thought. Suddenly she seemed to be struck with a stroke of brilliance.

"Veritaserum may be a difficult potion to brew, but it was one of the easiest potions to detect. When one takes the potion, their mind sort of goes blank for a bit… they would spill anything that was asked of them. To anyone looking at him or her while under the influence it would be all too simple to see that they were inebriated by the Veritaserum. It is like they are distant… even their voices change to a certain degree," she continued, full speed ahead. "But perhaps the worst part of giving an enemy the serum is that once the potion has worn off, they are more than aware, and in fact remember, everything had happened while they were under the influence."

Severus had to resist the all-too-uncommon urge to award Gryffindor house points.

"Yes, excellent. That is the biggest problem Miss Delacour and I are tackling right now. We were able to shorten the time it takes to brew the new potion by mixing some previously made potions that were quite easy to brew on their own. That took care of one the problems."

"And since this potion does not exist to the Ministry, there are no guidelines or consequences if one chose to use it."

"Precisely, Miss Granger."

"That only leaves detection. May I see your notes?"

Rarely willing to let anyone read his notes, especially a mere student, Severus was surprised to find himself rifling through his parchment to find his scrawling on failed attempts to make the potion undetectable. When he found the parchment in question, he handed it over to the young witch sitting oh so close to him. She accidentally brushed her leg against his… causing them both to jump at the contact. She jumped because she had never been this close to her professor before. He jumped because he had not been this close to a woman in a very long time. Trying to restore some resemblance of normality in their conversation, Hermione cleared her throat and took the parchment from his hand. She scanned it feverishly, looking for anything that might spark a bit of brilliance in her brain.

"Have you seen anything you feel that Miss Delacour and I have missed?" Severus was genuinely, though he would certainly never admit it to anyone he knew, interested in Hermione's thoughts. He had never had a student with the aptitude for potions that Miss Granger had. Years of studying would need to pass before they were on completely equal terms, but he had difficulty believing that she would be inferior to him in her potions brewing skills for much longer.

"The two main ingredients in a forgetfulness potion are fluxweed and…" It frustrated Hermione that she was having trouble remembering the ingredients to a quite simple potion she learned in her first year at Hogwarts. Something in her told her that she would find her answer in some way relating to that potion.

"And hellebore," Severus answered for her, a little disappointed that she did not have that seared in her memory. As he recalled, he was forced to give her one hundred thirty percent on her Potions final in her first year. The majority of the points came from her extremely long and detailed essay about that particular potion in question.

Yes, hellebore." She was quiet on the outside, but her brain was buzzing. That was how she operated. Even when she looked like she was simply sitting down to relax after a particularly trying day, she was actually thinking hard about something, anything, everything. Her mind, even when she wished it to in the late night, never seemed to stop racing. She always believed it to be the sign of a nutter… not the cleverness always attributed to her.

"Are you sensing a connection between these two potions?" Severus was impatient with her thought process. He was not an enduring man. He wanted his information as swiftly and as accurately as possible. Time held great value for him. Never one to want to waste any, he found sitting quietly waiting for Hermione to think of something brilliant to add to his potion entirely too provoking.

"The main purpose of a Forgetfulness potion is to make the drinker forget. It is much more effective than the Obliviate curse, is it not?"

"Quite a bit more effective." His patience was wearing thin. "Are you trying to aid me in this process or are you simply trying to recall a past potions lesson?"

She ignored his last remark. Something had definitely clicked in her brain.

"One might still be able to realize that they are under the influence of the Veritaserum, or rather its modified version, while they are under it. But… have you thought about simply giving them a way to forget about what they had just done?"

"Make them forget afterwards that they took the potion?"

Severus cursed himself under his breath. He had been looking at this problem in too much of an intellectual way. That was not something he even considered, though it should have been the very first. Obliviate was not an effective tool as Voldemort had shown after the Bertha Jorkins incident. Given enough power it was quite simple really to break that charm. Potions to induce memory loss were much more effective and very rarely tested for.

Months had passed with him trying to figure out a way to keep a person under the influence of the potion to not realize that they were. He thought that making it seem almost as if they were simply revealing the information willingly, would be the best solution. He could kick himself for how dumb he felt at Hermione's suggestion. Was he or was he not one of the most capable potions professors Hogwarts had ever had? He had all the credentials to lead the top potions brewing lab or department in the country. But… he lacked simplicity. He was always expecting everything to be highly complicated… never once thinking that the answer to his problem would lie within a first year's textbook.

"I am sorry," Hermione quickly said. "That was silly of me. Of course it is not that simple."

"Actually, Miss Granger," Severus began, despite his pride. "I was just thinking that I was trying to make the solution too complicated. I had not even thought to try a simple potion."

She blushed at that admission, but tried fruitlessly to hide it.

"Hellebore is a purgative… it could help to push out any memories." She suggested, feeling proud of herself for thinking of a possible solution that her potions master had not."

"The invisibility side effect of the powdered hellebore is a factor to consider. We could not very well risk having a person under interrogation become transparent of disappear all together."

"What about a tiny bit of powdered moonstone? It might help to balance out the hellebore."

The two of them sat in the potions lab for another hour and a half discussing possible ways to modify Veritaserum. Severus was completely unaware of the time passing or the fact that the more time he spent with Miss Granger, the more comfortable he felt around her. She had always been a Know-it-All to him, constantly annoying him beyond description. For the first time he found her company refreshing and even perhaps a bit stimulating for his intellect. She was a highly gifted witch, especially when it came to potions.

Well after ten o'clock that night a knock at the door to the potions lab brought Hermione and Severus back to reality. They had been working a long time without even realizing it. To Severus' great annoyance, none other than Harry Potter was standing in the doorway to the room. The look on young Harry's face gave no one in the room the impression that in the spirit of the Christmas season he had decided to give up hating his potions professor.

"Hermione?" Harry was not pleased to see her alone in the room with that… that _man_. His voice did nothing to hide his true feelings. "What are you doing here with _him_?"

"We were discussing a potion," she answered brightly, not wishing to let Harry's foul mood disrupt her.

"It is still Christmas, Hermione. We are on a break from school. You do not have to discuss anything about potions with him."

Severus was annoyed at the way Harry spoke about him as if he were not even in the room. He was annoyed, certainly, but he was not going to give the boy the satisfaction of the knowledge that it was indeed bothering him.

"This is not for school," Hermione replied, cognizant of the fact that Harry had had one of the most dismal Christmases of his life, even pre-Hogwarts with the Dursleys Christmases. Sirius' death was particularly difficult for Harry during the holiday season. "This is a potion for the Order."

"I just spoke to Ron over the floo," Harry continued. "He said we could go back to the Burrow now."

"Oh, great. I will be there a little later."

She turned her head back to the notes she had made next to Severus' own. Harry was more than a little put out at her behavior.

"Another hour left of Christmas and you would rather spend it here in this horrible smelling room with that … that…"

"Careful, Potter," Severus warned in the tone Harry was all too familiar with.

"With that… _man_… than you would back at the Burrow with people who actually care about you and care what happens to you? And don't say terrible things about you?"

"Harry, I am a big witch now. You do not have to be concerned about me. Professor Snape and I were simply discussing a potion. It could be very helpful to our cause."

"Damn the Cause!" Harry shouted. "You do not need to be alone with him!"

Severus became all too aware of the fear that Hermione could instill in others when provoked. Getting slowly up from her stool and approaching her best friend with a cool, steely gaze, Severus was exceptionally thankful to be on the other side of the room. This was one of the occasions he was afraid of… when Hermione's temper and strength shown through.

"Go back to the Burrow, Harry," she ordered, leaving no one in the room any doubt that she meant every word she said… and most importantly, that she expected Harry to follow them. "I will return when I am ready."

She returned to the stool next to Severus'. Harry, completely infuriated and perhaps a bit embarrassed, left the room in a huff. From the lab they were both able to hear an exceptionally loud, most likely for their benefit, shout from Harry. "The Burrow!"

"Please forgive him," Hermione said, not daring to look up at Severus' face. "He is not having a very easy time of it… especially since we had to come back here on Christmas of all days. We should have gone somewhere else. This was not right of me. I should have taken him anywhere else but here. Especially since this is where we spent last Christmas… with Sirius."

She rose from her seat, dropping the parchment in front of the professor. He watched her cross the room to the door.

"I hope I was of some help to you this evening, Professor," she said, exiting through the door.

She was gone before he had a chance to say anything to her. Remembering that he had gotten up quite early that morning and was himself quite tired, Severus returned his notes to the inside drawer of the desk in the room. Closing the door quietly he descended the stairs to the ground floor. The house felt strangely empty… It was certainly too quiet. Removing his cloak from the cupboard by the front door, Severus left the house without so much as a thought to check the streets. He was halfway down the street to a dark alley that would serve as a suitable apparation point when he heard a voice behind him he certainly did not expect.

"S-Severus?"

He turned around cautiously.

"Narcissa?"

Mrs. Malfoy was the absolute last person he expected to meet on that street so close to midnight on Christmas Day. What business could she possibly have there?

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, apparently as shocked as he.

"Visiting… an old friend," he lied summarily.

"I was unaware any wizards lived on this street." Narcissa eyed him suspiciously.

"He lives a few streets over actually." The lie began to grow. "I was simply enjoying a long walk before Apparating back to the manor."

"Oh," His answer seemed to appease her, though her exact reason for being in Grimmauld Place was quite a mystery.

"Why are you out so late… and _here_?" He hoped his question had not been too pointed.

"My father grew up on this street," she responded. "Number Twelve. I had hoped to find the old house, but seeing as my uncle was perhaps the most paranoid man who ever lived, the wards are too strong for me to find it."

"Oh," It was his turn to be speechless.

"Father died many years ago. It broke his heart when that blasted sister of mine Andromeda went off and married a filthy mudblood. He died soon after her daughter was born. Sometimes I like to come back to this place. Even if I cannot find the house itself, I can still feel something of my Father's presence."

Severus found himself feeling more than a little uncomfortable at the revelation of Narcissa's. She had never seemed like much of a sentimental witch, but she had often surprised him.

"You must be anxious to return home to your daughter," Narcissa finally said, breaking the awkward silence between the two of them. "Happy Christmas, Severus."

"Happy Christmas, Narcissa."

Severus did not even wait for the dark alley before he Apparated home. Coming upon Narcissa had been something he had never expected. It unnerved him to say the least. Removing his cloak in the front hall of his home, he was surprised to see his daughter had already returned home. He had given her permission to stay the night at the Burrow, in Ginny's room of course.

"Why are you back so early?" He asked, not at all disappointed to see her.

"Weasley family stuff happened," she answered with a sigh. "Fleur, Hermione, Harry and I did not feel like we should stay any longer. They kind of needed some alone time."

"What happened?"

"Their son Percy came home. He has not been home in a very long time."

"Oh."

"I just wanted to say good night before I went to bed. Remind me again why I got up so early this morning?"

He smiled at his daughter. She would never be a morning person. Of that he was certain. Anza wrapped her arms around her father's midsection in much the same way she had as a child. Severus relished in this show of affection from her. With a quick kiss on his cheek and a quiet good night, Anza disappeared up the stairs to her own room.

Severus had just settled himself in a chair with a glass of fire whiskey when a large eagle owl flew into the room. It dropped a note straight in his lap before turning back the way it had come.

_Severus,_

_Heard something interesting pertaining to you just now. I would like to see you immediately. Happy Christmas._

_Lucius_


	25. Chapter TwentyFour

Chapter Twenty-Four

Severus felt his heart leap to his throat. Lucius had just learned some information about him that was serious enough for him to want an immediate meeting. One did not disobey an order from Lucius Malfoy, especially since he was so close to the Dark Lord, especially since he had already shown how easy it was for him to break into the school and find a way to be completely alone with his daughter. No, disobeying Lucius Malfoy was just like as severe as signing your own death warrant.

Remembering the seriousness of the previous encounter he had had with his colleague and also able to read in his writing that the meeting was indeed quite urgent, Severus wasted no time in apparating to the Malfoy Manor. Of all the places in the world, Wiltshire was the absolute least favorite place for Severus to be. Too many awful memories permeated the grand manor and its expansive grounds. Some of his very worst memories, in fact, happened right there. Wiltshire was not a place he enjoyed visiting, especially under such vague circumstances.

What kind of information could Lucius have discovered about him? Severus wondered as he made the seemingly endless trek to the front door of the elegant mansion. Had Lucius somehow managed to discover that he was a spy for Dumbledore? Maybe he feared that Severus was too close to Dumbledore. Would he ask him to give up his teaching position for fear that the Headmaster would somehow get top secret information out of him? Or maybe Narcissa had informed her husband that she had seen him under suspicious circumstances not far from her father's family home. Was she able to put him actually within the confines of Number Twelve? Maybe she had watched him appear out of thin air in the space between Number Eleven and Number Thirteen. That would certainly seem suspicious.

Severus had all but convinced himself that Lucius Malfoy had discovered the whereabouts of the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, that he had taken into custody several influential Order members, discovered Severus was a spy and somehow managed to find a way to kill his daughter once more by the time he found himself standing in that dreadful drawing room of his past. Though few were probably aware, Severus also had a penchant for dramatics. Perhaps that was what kept him alive all of those years. He always considered and expected the very worst thing that could happen would indeed happen. As he caught sight of that silvery blonde man seated comfortably in a large armchair next to the fire, alone in the room, Severus was preparing himself for his impending death.

"Thank you for responding to my note so speedily," Lucius said, his eyes not leaving the fire raging in its grate.

"You said the matter was urgent," Severus replied as he wiped his sweaty hands on the sides of his robes.

Lucius made a gesture that left no doubt in Severus' mind he was to take the armchair across from his. Once he took a deep breath, Severus did just as he was told. The armchair he deposited himself in gave the illusion of comfort, but it was indeed quite the opposite… or maybe Severus could simply never find himself comfortable in that old home.

"Yes, the matter is indeed urgent," Lucius replied after a long, tense silence. "Something that greatly affects your future, I'm afraid."

_Damn … he knows. He knows I am a traitor to his cause._ Severus felt for his wand expecting at any moment to be blasted to bits.

"My future?" he asked in what he hoped was an even tone.

"Yes, your future as well as the future of your family."

The temperature in the room suddenly rose by forty degrees. Severus began pulling at the neck on his robes, suddenly finding it quite difficult to breathe in that room. He should have known that this betrayal was going to have an effect on his family. His daughter at the very least would suffer. Both the Dark Lord and Lucius had made that fact abundantly clear enough.

"A contact of mine," Lucius continued. "Someone I trust implicitly mentioned seeing someone we both know in a strange place under suspicious circumstances."

Narcissa had found his appearance on the street her father grew up on quite strange indeed. Feeling compelled to tell her husband everything, as a good Slytherin wife is expected to do, she would have no doubt mentioned their meeting in Grimmauld Place. Severus could have cursed himself for his stupidity. It would only be a matter of time before Lucius set spies outside of Number Twelve watching and recording everyone who came by. Soon they would realize that Albus Dumbledore's top people often visited the area. And everyone connected with the Death Eaters knew that Sirius Black had not been a part of their select group. He was a self-righteous fool, fighting for the wrong side.

Despite the fact that his personal bodyguards were Crabbe and Goyle, Lucius Malfoy liked to surround himself with perceptive people. Someone would realize that Number Twelve was some sort of meeting place for the resistance. And… there would be one name that would creep up on the lists that would be suspicious … Severus Snape. He would be revealed as a traitor, murdered quite possibly alongside his daughter and the rest of their small family… all because Narcissa Malfoy saw him walking down a dark street in the middle of London.

The only problems with Severus' theory … it was too dramatic and entirely too complicated to be possible. Yes, Narcissa Malfoy had thought it odd to run into an old school friend, but she chocked it up to coincidence and nothing else. She was simply unaware that wizards lived anywhere near that old house. In days to come she would mention to her husband that she saw Severus in London. Neither one would find that information interesting enough to give it another thought.

"Antonin Dolohov was in Knockturn Alley the other afternoon," Lucius began.

Severus' ears perked up at this bit of information. So he was not talking about Narcissa… but Antonin. What could possibly be interesting to know about that man? Severus hardly knew him… did not care to. He was a brutal man. Hearing that he was in Knockturn Alley certainly should not have been a surprise. Dolohov seemed just the type of wizard to skulk about that dark alley.

"He went into a pub there for whiskey and he was surprised to see who he saw."

"Who did he see?" Severus finally asked after a disgustingly long silence. Lucius loved to build suspense whenever he could.

"Anza."

_His_ Anza? Severus should have been more concerned than he was about his teenage daughter, who had only recently become an adult witch, was seen in a seedy pub in the middle of Knockturn Alley. He should have been so furious with his daughter at that information that forgetting his pleasantries with Lucius, that he would apparate home immediately. There were many things he should have done or felt at hearing that news. And he would have, if he was not more concerned with the fact that Antonin Dolohov knew his daughter by sight… knew her enough to recognize her in a crowd. That information terrified him. Dolohov was not a wizard to be trifled with.

"Dolohov knows my daughter?" Severus asked.

A wicked smirk crossed Lucius' face. Severus wanted to curse it off his pretty boy face.

"Ahh, yes, Antonin is very familiar with who your daughter is, Severus," Lucius replied, a hint of malice in his tone. "In fact, most of the Death Eaters know who she is… and certainly could identify her on sight."

That bit of information troubled Severus immensely. Why was his daughter so known amongst his nefarious comrades? Did the Dark Lord instruct them to keep an eye on her, ever vigilant for a time when they could either recruit a powerful Velousov ally into their army… or were they waiting for an opportunity to take a punishment meant for her father out on Anza? Every thought he had was worse than the previous. Severus' mind was traveling to places it should have never been.

"Why are they so familiar with my daughter?" Severus demanded, not worrying about the tone he was using with a man who could have his entire family murdered in moments while he watched helplessly from the sidelines.

"To begin with… it was an order from the Dark Lord. He wanted to keep an eye on her. As a Velousov, he has taken a special interest in her well being… especially considering how closely Anza is related to Elizaveta," Lucius calmly explained.

"Is he trying to recruit her?" Severus desperately hoped the answer was no.

"Not to my understanding, though he certainly would welcome her with open arms. I daresay she would quite possibly take Bellatrix's position as his favorite if she wished. But… the Dark Lord wants followers who are completely loyal to him, who want to serve him more than they wish to breathe. Even these days he will not just accept anyone into his ranks."

"So the Dark Lord asked that eyes be kept on her… if not for recruitment than for what purpose?"

Lucius was silent for a moment.

"The disappearance of Anza as a child disturbs him greatly," he explained. "Why would Marina fake her own death as well as the death of her two year old daughter? What caused her to flee with your daughter? These are the questions with no answers… he finds that extremely suspicious."

Indeed the circumstances of so many years earlier were quite suspicious. Severus did not have the answers. He firmly believed all of that happened simply because Marina was evil. What kind of person could put another through so much pain? The death of a child is the absolute worse thing that could happen to a person. To willingly put another through grief while their child was still very much alive… it was unimaginable.

"But… Marina was always suspected of being a little mad," Lucius continued. "When we reported to the Dark Lord how you treated your daughter now that she has returned, he realized that perhaps it was Marina's lunacy that created the entire situation… that you were not to blame."

Of course he was not to blame! But, Severus said nothing, only continued to stare at the floor at his feet.

"While keeping watch on Anza in the first couple of weeks she was back in Britain and then again when we were, _ahem_, released from Azkaban, many of the Death Eaters were reminded of your sister by looking at Miss Anza. She does indeed resemble her quite a bit. Though she has not matured completely, in a few years there is no doubt in anyone's mind that she will be as beautiful as your sister, Severus."

The potions professor could not think of anything at that moment but the night he was forced to kill that Muggle girl disguised as his daughter. What Lucius had said about his sister… and then about his daughter, he knew were not things he simply said to add to the effect of that harrowing event of that night. Lucius could be the most mysterious wizard at times, no one knowing what was going on in his mind. But … there were other times when what he was thinking was all too clear. His thoughts on Anza were disturbing to say the least to her protective father.

"You will soon find yourself up to your neck in offers for marriage contracts," Lucius said.

"I would never allow an arranged marriage to take place," he responded forcefully. "As I recall my arranged marriage was not a happy one and my sister's resulted in her premature death… not to mention what happened to her child."

Lucius glared at the man across from him. He knew what Severus was implying, but he said nothing about it.

"So… I would assume then that an offer for an alliance between your daughter and my son would be out of the question?"

Severus could not tell if he was serious or not. Malfoy liked to play games. This could simply be one of his plethora of mind games he employed to achieve the results he wished. Or… maybe Lucius was serious about wanting his daughter to marry Draco. Severus almost laughed at the thought of what Anza would say to that arrangement. She would not be pleased… and more importantly, she would not do it. But… to Severus' great relief, and then disgust, Lucius let out a loud laugh.

"No, I would not ask Anza to marry my son," he said, his laughter continuing through his speech. "I would find Anza's presence in the manor too _tempting_."

"I would ask that you remember you are speaking about my daughter," Severus said coolly, not wishing to hear another lewd remark about his offspring from that man or any other as long as he lived. Anza was worth more than the idle talk of letches.

"Of course, my apologies." He was not serious, but Severus did not honestly expect him to honestly apologize. "Even Antonin seemed interested in approaching you about Anza."

"Dolohov?" Severus would die before he allowed his daughter to marry that man. He was the worst sort of wizard imaginable. No doubt he would have zero respect for his precious Anza. Even if Severus were to somehow, someday consider a marriage contract, Dolohov would never be a contender.

"His mother always goes on about how he should marry a nice Russian witch," Lucius explained. "And a Velousov? His family would be extremely proud to have one in their family. That and I think Antonin has taken a liking to your daughter, Severus. He seems to know that one day she will be quite the beauty… just like the witch she was named for."

"Dolohov has to be at least twenty-five years older than Anza." That was of course the most obvious reason that Severus would deny the marriage. Why would he subject his daughter to a marriage with a man more than twice her age? It was unthinkable.

"What are twenty-five years in wizarding blood? We live to be two hundred if we wish, Severus. A quarter of a century is nothing in our time."

"Antonin Dolohov would never marry my daughter." That comment closed that part of the conversation. Severus did not want to think that Dolohov, of all wizards, was lusting after his daughter, interested in trying to force her to marry him. The thought was sickening.

"Calm down, Severus," Lucius implored. "Of course you would not let him. If I had a daughter I certainly would never marry her off to that scoundrel."

Tension that had developed the moment Lucius explained Dolohov's intentions towards Severus' daughter broke. They were still quite uneasy, or at least the younger of the two wizards was still uneasy. He was having a dreadful time trying to find any bit of comfort in that damned chair. Remembering that Lucius had called him over to his home for the sole purpose of sharing some information with him, Severus sat up straight in his chair.

"Anza was in Knockturn Alley. Trust me, when I say she will be disciplined when I return home… but is that all?" Severus knew there had to be something additional. That was not enough for Lucius to demand to see him immediately on Christmas. "Surely you did not ask me to come over here to tattle on my daughter for being somewhere she had no business being."

"She did just turn seventeen, Severus," Lucius reminded him with a smirk. "Anza can legally do what she wants in our world."

"What was significant about her being in the pub?"

"Her being there is not what disturbed Antonin. No, indeed he rather enjoyed coming upon her unexpectedly like that. He rarely finds other wizarding folk in our country that can speak Russian with him… and he rather enjoys her company I daresay." His smirk grew wider. "What bothered him was _who_ she was there in the pub with."

"Who was she with?" Severus asked, getting quite sick of all of the games that Lucius was playing with him. He did not like to feel led around on a string and he hated Lucius holding all of the playing cards.

"A… _Weasley_."

Saying the name of that family caused Lucius a great deal of trouble. He hated Arthur Weasley and anyone remotely connected with him. They had been in the same year at Hogwarts… never did two people get along less. Well… unless you counted Severus and Sirius Black … or Draco and Harry Potter. Every day it seemed that they were in another fight. Lucius felt that Arthur, who could claim blood as pure as anyone, was wasting the gift he had of being pure by associating with Muggles and mudbloods. There was a great deal that Lucius hated about Arthur, but his stance on Muggles was the most visible. And… it had become no secret that Arthur was on Albus Dumbledore's side.

"I do not know the Weasley she was with," Lucius continued. "But I know that the whole lot of them are worthless. You would be well served to get Arthur's son out of your daughter's life. They are not exactly popular people with our side."

"My daughter makes her own decisions, Lucius," Severus added. "Especially now that she is of age. I cannot tell her who she can and cannot associate with. If she chooses to waste her time with a Weasley, than as much as I try to convince her not to, she will do exactly as she wishes."

"A father has more control over his child than that, Severus."

He did not know what to respond to that. Of course he was concerned to hear that his daughter was meeting her 'friend' in a dodgy pub in Knockturn Alley without permission. That was not something he would condone if he knew about it beforehand. Knockturn Alley was not even a place Severus liked to go. Why would she choose to go there to meet Charlie? It made very little sense to Severus until he remembered that the actions of teenage girls very rarely made any sense to him.

"Especially now who we align ourselves with will determine our future in this world," Lucius added. "A Weasley would not be a good match for your daughter. He certainly would not further the cause or give you a very good reputation. That was why I merely suggested that it might be wise to find a suitable husband for your daughter yourself. There are many willing applicants who would love to align themselves not just with a Snape, but a Velousov. Both of those names, both of those families command respect. And then of course your family fortune… well, a wizard could do worse than your daughter."

"Thank you for your concern, Lucius," Severus replied, though not at all grateful for his meddling. "But I have no say over who my daughter will marry. She will marry for love and for love only… even if it is a _Weasley_."

And for the first time… Severus believed himself. He believed that Anza marrying to the Weasley family would not be a travesty. He had a great deal of respect for Arthur and Molly, though naturally he would never admit that to Lucius Malfoy. He knew that Charlie cared for his daughter greatly. One simply had to see the way he looked when she entered a room to know that much. Charlie would die before he allowed anything bad to happen to Anza. The Weasley family, though it would have difficulty admitting Severus Snape, would certainly admit Anza. They would love her with all they had. Of that Severus was certain. No, the more Lucius protested against the Weasleys, the more Severus wanted his daughter to be a part of them. Once she was a member of that family, she would have support and love that he could only dream of. Is that not what parents wish for their children? For them to have everything and more than they had? Severus may never have the warm, loving family of his dreams, but he would be damned before he let Lucius pressure him into making a cold, arranged marriage for his daughter that would deprive her of the love and warmth she would receive as part of the Weasley clan.

"I was simply trying to give you some friendly advice, Severus," Lucius responded. "You may take it or leave it, but I had sincere hopes that you would heed my warning. If Anza chooses to be with a Weasley, she could very well be among some of the first to go when the Dark Lord reigns supreme. That family has lived too long in our world. Anyone associated with them will have to be destroyed."

Severus knew Lucius' threats were not idle. If there were a family he would willingly slaughter, it would be the redheaded Weasleys. Anyone who had spent more than a few minutes with Malfoy knew that fact all too well. The exact reason of Lucius and Arthur's long-lasting feud was unknown to most people… the two involved in the feud most likely could not recall what caused the animosity.

"If Anza chooses to be a part of the Weasley family in any fashion, she will be killed right alongside them," Lucius continued his threat. "You are aware of that, are you not, Severus?"

"My daughter will make the decision herself with whom she will spend the rest of her life… no matter how long or short that period might be."

Severus rose from his chair without hesitation. He was done there. If Lucius had nothing more to say to him then to threaten his daughter's very life because of the person she had found some happiness with… there was nothing left for them to discuss.

"Again, I appreciate your concern, Lucius, but I really must be going," he said as he straightened his robes. "There are a few matters I wish to discuss with my daughter."

Lucius did not say a word as Severus swept out of the drawing room with a dramatic swirl of his robes. He had already said all that he wished to say about the matter. Malfoy did honestly care about Anza Snape's welfare. He cared with whom she made lifelong alliances. He cared what happened to her. She was enough like her aunt already and had enough of a promise to be more like her as she grew older that Lucius knew a beauty like her could not go to waste.

* * *

Breakfast the next morning at the Snape Manor was a bit tense for all parties. Veda and Sidonius were running on very little sleep. Their daughter Brenna had trouble sleeping through the night. She often woke the young parents up three or four times each night. Their sleep was further interrupted by their son Dermot who could never sleep when his sister cried. Both of the young children were grumpy in the mornings. Both of their parents had difficulty keeping their eyes open or their minds coherent enough for a simple conversation.

This particular morning both Severus and Anza were tense. Neither one of them had forgotten the long discussion they had in the early morning hours. Anza could not look at her father. She went without her customary strawberry preserves on her toast, a ritual she had every morning, simply because to have the preserves would require her father to hand the bowl to her. Likewise Severus did not add any salt to his scrambled eggs. The shaker was out of his reach.

"I know why my family is not speaking this morning," Sidonius began after he let loose a rather long yawn. "But you two are rarely so quiet at the table. Do you not have some important potions or divination discussion planned for this meal?"

Neither of them answered the question. Anza suddenly found her toast too delicious to not shove into her mouth at that moment. Likewise Severus found the urge for coffee too difficult to resist. Sidonius was not stupid. He took the hint and did not ask again. The entire family ate in silence that morning.

Severus returned to the manor a little after two in the morning. After his conversation with Lucius he needed to take a long walk around the grounds. It was to his great surprise that he found Anza sitting by the duck pond in the garden. She found this bit of the grounds the first day she visited the manor the previous summer. Always one who loved nature, especially the adorable ducks, she had claimed that area as her private sanctuary. Now that snow covered the ground and the ducks had long since migrated to the south for the winter, she found the place dreary, but still she visited.

"What are you doing out here so late?" Severus asked in a quiet voice so as not to frighten her.

"I was having trouble sleeping," she admitted, pulling the dressing robe she was wearing tighter around her.

"_Accio cloak_." His daughter never remembered to wear her cloak outside. She was often forgetful about items like that. With a swish of his wand her warm velvet cloak flew into his outstretched hand. He gently placed the article of clothing on her shivering shoulders before joining her on the cold stone bench. A quick warming spell to the stone and he was ready to speak very seriously with her. "Were you having dreams?"

Anza sighed loudly and dramatically. It was dark so he could not be certain, but Severus definitely assumed she was rolling her eyes at that question.

"Last night I dreamed I was playing gobstones with Greg when a large, twelve foot piece of cheese started running after us." She gave her father an incredulous look. "Not every dream I have comes true, Father."

"I was asking a simple question, Anza," he replied, trying not to let her see in the dark that he was on the verge of a laugh. She was entirely too sardonic for her own good. Where did she get that trait from anyway?

"Sorry," she muttered disingenuously. "No, I was not dreaming. I just could not find myself comfortable in my bed. My mind has been racing all night… well, rather all day… just cannot seem to make it slow down long enough to sleep. I thought that sitting outside would help."

They were both silent for a few minutes as each breathed in the wintry air.

"Where did you go?" Anza asked, her curiosity fit to burst out of her. "Were you… _summoned_?"

"In a matter of speaking," he answered quietly, his eyes focused entirely on the frozen pond. As a child he used to skate there with his older sister and brothers. When Sidonius was nine, he fell through the ice. If Severus had not been there, had not been watching every move his younger brother made… he shook the thought from his head and returned to the conversation he was having with his daughter. "Lucius Malfoy asked me to stop by his home. He had some _information_ about you to give me."

Anza looked away from her father's piercing glare.

"Why were you and Charlie Weasley in a pub in Knockturn Alley the other day?" His voice was that cool, steel voice he used with students in the dungeons. Anza hated it immensely.

"Do not blame Charlie for this!" She hastily responded. "It was my idea that we meet there."

"Why?"

"I miss him," she answered truthfully. "And because of that stupid promise he made to his mother we are not allowed to be alone together. I thought that we could meet in Knockturn Alley. Mrs. Weasley would never go there. I thought that we could meet in secret… just once."

"And Mr. Weasley went along with this plan of yours?"

"He did not want to at first. He reminded me over and over again that he had made a promise to both you and his mother that nothing would happen until I leave Hogwarts." She sighed another dramatic sigh. "That is another year and a half away. I begged and pleaded until he agreed to… just once."

"You were seen."

Her eyes grew wide at that revelation. She had been so used to being an anonymous face in the crowd when she lived in Belgium. It had been a small wizarding settlement, but her mother was always the one in their family to grab the most attention. Anza had simply been known as 'that girl who blows things up a lot'. Since returning to Britain she was surprised to find that so many people knew who she was. How many times had she been recognized in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley by a witch or wizard who claimed to know her family or to remember her when she was a child? Everyone said she looked a lot like the aunt she would never be able to meet. It was disconcerting to say the least. And at Hogwarts… everyone knew who she was. She was Professor Severus Snape's long-lost daughter who was both terrible at most forms of magic and a member of that fearsome Velousov family.

"He said he would not tell anyone," Anza quietly said.

"Who said what?"

"Antonin Dolohov said he would not tell anyone that he saw me in Knockturn Alley."

"You spoke with Dolohov?" That information was again frightening to the concerned father. Dolohov had been contacting his daughter in public? "Do you have any idea how dangerous that man is?"

Though it was dark, the moon was hidden by a grove of trees; Severus could see big tears fall from his daughter's eyes.

"He has always been nothing but nice to me," she answered in a tiny voice that did not even sound like her own.

"Always? How often have you spoken with him?"

"I have seen him on every Hogsmeade visit and a few of the times I have gone to London in the past couple of weeks during the holidays."

Again Severus felt quite disturbed by what he was hearing. He knew that the Dark Lord had asked some of the Death Eaters to keep on eye on the Velousova girl, but he certainly did not know to what extent the surveillance had gone. And now that he knew Antonin Dolohov was interested in approaching Severus about a marriage contract for his daughter…

"Have you ever been alone with Dolohov… or for that matter anyone else you have met in Hogsmeade or London?"

"No, of course not. Greg usually never leaves my side in Hogsmeade… and he was also with me a few of my trips into London. He is not a very trusting person. It takes him a long time to open up to anyone. I am very thankful I did not have to go through what he puts others through who want his friendship. Maybe because we were children together…" Her thoughts on the boy who had become her very best friend for the second time in her life drifted. "Greg told me to not speak to Dolohov… that he had bad intentions. Is that true, Father?"

"Lucius mentioned that Dolohov was interested in marrying you." Severus had hoped to keep that information from his daughter for as long as possible. But now that he knew that Dolohov was as good as stalking his daughter… he needed her to know how serious the situation was.

"You would not make…" she started hesitantly.

"Of course I would not make you marry Dolohov or any other wizard for that matter!" His voice rang through the silence of the night. To ensure her of that fact, Severus put his arm around his daughter. "You will marry for love the wizard of your choosing, Anza. Never will I subject you to that archaic tradition of 'selling' young witches into marriage."

They were silent again, but for once no words needed to be spoken between the two.

"You will not go to Diagon Alley or any other part of London alone again," Severus finally said. "As for Hogsmeade… you will remain at all times in a group. I want Gregory with you at all times. He is a perceptive young man. He knows the danger that could befall a young woman."

Indeed his father was actually one of those men to save young women from.

"As you forgot or neglected to mention to me when we were decorating the manor for Christmas," Anza began bitterly. "I am a full-fledged legal witch now. You may be my father, but you are not my guardian any longer. I can make my own decisions."

Severus resisted using the old standby 'as long as you live under my roof' because somehow he knew Anza would counter that with, 'well, then maybe I will just move out from under your roof'. That would have been exactly the response he himself would have given… and they were both a lot alike.

"This is not a game, Speranza. There are people in this world that would take your life simply because of who you are. If I make a tiny mistake, your life could be forfeit because of it. Do you realize that? Do you realize that as long as this war rages on you are not safe?"

Anza said nothing to her father. She rose from the bench and ran towards the manor. Knowing better than to follow his daughter when she was in that kind of mood… they both needed their alone times occasionally… Severus sat on the bench for another quarter of an hour. More memories flooded his brain. Why was he being so nostalgic that night? Christmas made a person reminisce entirely too much. Shaking off bad thoughts about his future as well as the future of his family, Severus returned to the manor to yet another night of restless sleep.

* * *

"Why are you hugging me as if you will never see me again?" Veda laughed as she returned yet another hug from her niece.

"I am going to miss you so much." Anza did not let her aunt go.

"You will be back in only a few months. Then we will spend so much time together we will be sick of each other."

The winter holidays were at an end. Severus and Anza were preparing to hail the Knight Bus to take them back to Hogwarts for the remainder of the school year. The couple of weeks following Christmas had been stressed, but a sort of peace fell between the father and daughter.

"Where is my second hug?" Sidonius feigned hurt that Anza had not embraced him multiple times as she had his wife and children.

"I'm sorry," Anza laughed, squeezing her uncle as she apologized. "Maybe it is because I will miss your family more."

Sidonius again pretended to be injured by the remark his niece made in jest, but he was never able to remain upset, even in pretend, for long. He laughed and released her from his hold. After another long round of farewells, Anza was finally seated next to her father in the second level of the tri-level purple bus. Anza had not stopped crying since they left the grounds of the manor. Severus was beside himself with what to do. His experience with weeping teenage girls, especially the tearful months since his daughter returned 'from the dead', should have given him all the credentials of an expert, but he was anything but.

"Are you all right, dearie?" A kindly looking elderly witch asked in the seat across the aisle from the Snapes. She placed a comforting, wrinkled hand on Anza's knees.

"It is always hard to say goodbye to family," she answered, embarrassed that her tears had received attention from the other passengers.

The elderly witch smiled at her once more before returning to her conversation with the warlock on her left.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked carefully. He was quite afraid she would start the waterworks again if he did not ask properly.

"I have never had a real family… not until I came back," Anza responded as she wiped her eyes on the back of the sleeve of her robe. "I am finding it hard to say goodbye."

"You will see them again in June."

An awkward silence fell between the two of them again. They were the twelfth stop in line. Two and a half hours on the lurching Knight Bus would take place before they returned to the castle. Severus had a book with him. The movement of the vehicle made it damn near impossible to focus on any of the words. Anza stared dreamily out the window. An entire hour of silence passed.

"Greg hates his father," Anza announced in a quiet voice.

"Does he?" Severus had never thought one way or the other how Gregory Goyle felt about his father. Naturally a part of him assumed that Gregory was simply a younger copy of Gary.

"I am thankful that I do not feel that way about mine." She gave her father a weak half smile, but he knew that she was sincere.

"Why does Gregory hate his father?" His curiosity always got the better of him.

"They have never gotten along from what I understand. Greg hates how his father treats his mother. He does not talk a lot about his father, but a few times he has confided in me. He has known since he was seven that his father saw other women behind his mother's back."

Gary Goyle's infidelity had reached mythic proportions by his son's third birthday. Even Cordelia was not naïve enough to ignore the rumors. She did as she was expected for the sake of her child. Though the love that had grown between the two of them when they were at Hogwarts had long since dissipated, Cordelia was not one to give up when she swore 'til death do us part'. Her tenacity irked Severus, especially in a situation like that.

"And then when he was sent to Azkaban," Anza continued. "He told me over the summer, before the break-out, that he did not care if he ever saw his father again. In fact he rather wished he would not."

Severus felt a little strange speaking so candidly about one of his students. He knew that children often spoke to their parents about their best friends, but his situation as Gregory's Head of House and potions professor made the issue a bit uncomfortable.

"Greg would join the Order in a heartbeat. I have no doubt of that in my mind."

A Goyle working on the side of Albus Dumbledore? Severus could not believe that no matter how much his daughter persisted. There were quite a few doubts in his own mind.

"He has cursed the Dark Lord a hundred times or so… only in my presence though. It would be awful if Draco or Vince ever heard him talking like that. His one wish, after completely removing his father from his life, would be for a world without You Know Who."

"He is not a supporter?" Still Severus was having trouble believing that Gregory Goyle, the boy who always flanked Draco Malfoy, would willingly join the fight to rid the world of Voldemort.

"Of course not. You would be surprised by the Slytherins who want nothing to do with the Death Eaters. You would be even more surprised by the students in other houses who wish for nothing more than the day that You Know Who takes over."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I would not make a very good spy in the castle if I was unable to pick up information like that." She smiled at her father ironically. "Was that not your wish when I started?"

"Who do you know that would join Dumbledore's side, if given the chance?"

He was quite curious to hear his daughter's thoughts on this issue.

"Well… first you should know the Slytherins that are definitely joining the Death Eaters no matter how hard anyone tries to stop them… Draco because of his father, Vince because of both his father and Draco, Pansy because she thinks she will have the opportunity to find a good husband… as ridiculous as that sounds."

It did not sound strange to Severus in the least. Pansy Parkinson had always seemed like the girl interested only in securing a good marriage for herself. She was exactly the opposite of what his sister had been.

"Theodore I am not sure about. He is angry with his father for getting caught and bringing shame to his family, but I think he would do pretty much anything to make his father proud of him. Tracey Davis just wants to survive her classes this year. She does not think a lot about the future."

"So who would join given the chance?" He asked again.

"Without a doubt Greg, Daphne and Millicent."

Daphne Greengrass was not a surprise to Severus. He had always known her to be a caring girl. Certainly he could not imagine her ever wanting to hurt anyone. She came from a good family, a family that kept its distance from the first war. Now Millicent Bulstrode was a bit of a stretch. Her family was up to its neck involved in the Dark Lord's regime… but Millicent had always done her own thing. She was not one to be led around when it really mattered.

Gregory Goyle was still quite a shock to Severus. He was having trouble believing that he was any different from his father. Too often he thought Gregory was Gary when they met in the castle. How many times had he called him his father's name only to be met with a look that could only be described as humiliation? Now that Anza mentioned it, Severus could see how much Gregory did not care for his father. He remembered that day the previous June when he had to inform the young man that his father had been sent to Azkaban. He had hardly said a word, only stormed out of the office.

"We should not discuss this here," Severus said, stopping the conversation. They enjoyed the last twenty minutes of their journey in peace.

* * *

Classes resumed a few days later. Everyone in the castle slipped back into its usual routine, the excitement of the break far from everyone's mind. In the middle of February, Anza's greatest fear was realized. A normal day began just as the previous one had begun. The entire school was eating a normal dinner under completely normal circumstances. Only Anza seemed to be on edge.

"You all right, Anza?" Severus heard Gregory Goyle ask his friend. His ears were able to pick up tiny bits of conversation from the Slytherin table.

"Yeah." Neither her father nor her best friend were convinced with that answer.

Severus was looking in the direction of his daughter when he saw her jump up from the table. She started running towards the doors of the Great Hall, the eyes of everyone in the room on her. Before she reached the doors, they flew open. Sidonius, looking more haggard than his brother had ever seen him, stood in the doorway. He looked around the room with wild eyes. Anza screamed, burst into tears and ran out the door. Severus noticed Gregory get up from the table to follow her.

"Sidonius?" He had been able to cross the hall with little difficulty to his brother.

He was unable to speak, tears were flowing down the younger wizard's wild eyes. In his hand he held a piece of crumpled parchment that he thrust into his elder brother's hands.

_Dear Mr. Sidonius Snape,_

_It is with deep regret that I must inform you of the passing of your wife, Veda Arabeth Horton Snape, your son, Severus Dermot Snape, and your daughter, Brenna Elizabeth Snape. Mrs. Snape was killed in an attack in Diagon Alley this afternoon, the 17th of February. Mr. Snape and Miss Snape died later after being brought to our hospital._

_With deepest condolences,_

_Armelinda Monfriend_

_St. Mungo's Department of Records_

_

* * *

_

_A/N: I just wanted to take this time to thank all of my faithful reviewers. You honestly make my day when I open my inbox to see your messages. They give me the inspiration to continue. Thank you for your encouragements. -Lila _


	26. Chapter TwentyFive

Chapter Twenty-Five

It took every ounce of both physical and emotional strength Severus possessed to get his distraught younger brother down into the dungeons. The news of the death of three of the five most important people in his life had shattered Severus' heart. He ached at the sight of Sidonius – a man who had been so vivacious and carefree his entire life now unable to put two coherent words together. With his sheer will power alone, Severus managed to get his brother down the stone steps without either one of them losing complete control over their emotions.

Inside his suite of rooms Severus could hear the unmistakable sound of sobbing coming from Anza's room. On the pretense of bringing his brother back a glass of fire whiskey, Severus stepped into his bedroom. The door to Anza's bedroom was cracked open. She rarely entered that room during the school term, but of course she would want to be in a private place with her grief. He was just about to enter the room when he caught sight of what was happening in the room. Anza was lying on her bed with her face pressed into a pillow, sobbing. Gregory Goyle was kneeling beside the bed, deftly rubbing her back gently in an attempt to calm her.

Two things about that scene tug at Severus' heartstrings – one was undoubtedly the grief of his young daughter. She had long feared that the family she had only recently acquired would be taken from her. Three relatives dead in one day… how were they ever going to get past the actions that had occurred only a few hours before? The other part of the scene that bothered him greatly was how adept Gregory seemed to be at soothing distraught women. No doubt his gentle ministrations were responsible for the steady calm Anza was approaching. It pained the professor greatly to know that that young man had had great experience in his past comforting. He knew that his mother was the one Gregory had often had to comfort in much the same way.

Sidonius was a bit calmer now that he was in his brother's private quarters. His entire life he counted on Severus to help him with his problems. If something was wrong, he knew that his elder brother could help. Though he was certainly not as naïve as he once was, Sidonius still felt a bit like that as he sat on the sofa staring into the raging flames in the fireplace. Severus handed him a glass of fire whiskey. He held it, twirled the amber liquid around in the tumbler, then set it down on a side table without so much as a sip. On the contrary, Severus imbibed his entire glass in one swallow.

"They… they," Sidonius was still having difficulty stringing his words together. "They are … _gone_."

Severus put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Even in the years he thought he had lost Anza, Severus had never experienced grief on the scale Sidonius was about to. He was still in the shock stage of mourning, still unaware if the events of that day had actually happened. Indeed Severus had to pinch himself to be certain this was not all a bad dream. Everything felt so unreal to him.

"What happened, Sid?" Severus used a voice that was so still and so quiet it almost did not sound as if it belonged to the man he was.

"I am not entirely certain," he responded. "The Aurors who delivered the letter to me personally told me all that they knew, but I had difficulty keeping it all straight. I hardly heard them after they said, 'We regret to have to inform you that your family is dead'."

Severus' heart ached for his younger brother. How was he ever going to get past the death of his beloved wife and their two young, beautiful children?

"There was some kind of attack in Diagon Alley. I never should have let them go alone!" He jumped up from the sofa to turn his back to his brother. "I had a bad feeling… ever since Lucy stopped by yesterday."

"Lucy?"

Lucinda Malfoy had gone off to spend several years in Italy after she left Hogwarts. She had long ago married Alberic Grunnion the third, the grandson of the wizard who invented the Dung Bomb. Her family had been only too happy that she had married into one of the richest families in the world. For the first time in her entire life, Lucy had done what was expected of her by her family. Though Severus was not entirely positive of the events that led to the marriage, he had heard rumors that the marriage was arranged. How strange that she would agree to that. She, who had always been quite different from her family, married into yet another Muggle-hating pureblood family. She had no children and the death of her husband the year before had left her a quite wealthy widow. After her marriage she and Sidonius stopped corresponding. Severus had certainly never heard her name mentioned until that moment in his private quarters.

"She is back in Britain. She returned just after New Years."

"Oh, I was unaware."

"Lucy stopped by to visit our family. She had heard about our children and wanted to see Veda again. They were excellent friends in school, despite the differences in their houses."

"Something was strange about Lucy?" That was a question Severus had to force himself to ask. Of course something was strange about Lucy Malfoy. She had always been strange.

"She just seemed different. Her life since Hogwarts, since we last saw her has been quite extraordinary. She has changed quite a bit."

Severus wondered why Lucinda Malfoy was such a big part of the story of how his sister-in-law, nephew and niece were murdered, but he knew enough about his brother to allow him to continue without further interruption.

"I know, I know, time will change just about anyone, but Severus, she was not my best friend. She was not the girl I used to play with or bore to death with my stories about Veda Horton looking in my direction during Charms class."

"Do you feel that she is somehow responsible for the attack?"

"No! Of course not! Different or not, Lucy would never willingly kill people, especially not innocent people she claimed to care about."

"Then why the bad feeling about her?"

"I am not sure," he said quietly, returning to his seat on the sofa next to his brother. "Maybe her timing was just off. Maybe I only think something was strange because it was a coincidence that she stopped by the day before. I do not know, Severus. I wish I did."

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. Sidonius excused himself to wash his face in the bathroom while Severus opened the door. A solemn Albus Dumbledore stood in the doorway.

"May I come in?" He asked his professor formally, though Severus had no doubt that he was there visiting on personal matters.

"Of course."

Albus settled himself in the same spot Sidonius had only just vacated a few moments earlier. He looked weary, more tired than Severus had ever seen him. The war raging outside in their world was taking its toll on the elderly wizard. He would not be able to keep up his pace for much longer.

"I just spoke with the Amelia Bones over the floo," Albus announced, rubbing his tired eyes. "She told me the events that took place today."

"What did happen?" Severus joined his mentor on the sofa.

"An attack in Diagon Alley happened. A Death Eater attack, I am afraid."

"Were there more people injured or… _killed_?" He asked though he was not entirely certain he wished to know the truth.

"No… it seems that this was a personalized attack. The goal was accomplished – to murder Mrs. Snape and her two children."

That news was shocking to say the least to Severus. From the moment he read that letter in the Great Hall until the announcement that just left Albus' lips, he believed that there was either a full-scale attack in the Alley, killing and injuring dozens or that Veda and her children simply got caught in the cross fire. But to know that she was actually targeted by the Death Eaters, by the very same group he had been a member of for more than half his life? … That knowledge was brutal.

"Ms. Bones claims that while Veda was shopping in Flourish and Blotts this afternoon, five masked Death Eaters Apparated into the store. She and her children were cornered in the second floor stacks. One of them shouted something awful… before using the Killing curse on her."

"What did they say?" Severus demanded to know.

"'This is what happens to Mudbloods who taint the blood of one of wizarding's purest families'."

"What happened to the children?" He was not sure he could take much more of the information he was receiving, but he knew he had to ask. He had to know what happened to those beautiful children he loved almost as much as his own daughter.

"They were both crushed under falling bookshelves."

Albus turned his gaze away from the younger man hearing about the horror that had just befallen his family. Both men knew what the other was thinking without them even saying a word. They were both remembering the night so many years before when Severus had murdered an innocent baby girl by charming a pile of chopped wood to topple over on her. The similarities between that event and this were remarkable.

And Severus knew who was responsible for Veda's death… and Dermot's death… and the death of precious little Brenna.

"Thank you, Albus, for sharing with me that information. Though it brings no comfort, I needed to know what happened for the sake of my brother." Severus rose to shake the elder wizard's hand.

"A guest room just across the hall has been opened for Sidonius. He can stay here as long as he needs to."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

Knowing that Albus cared enough to make certain that the Snape family was not alone in this time meant a great deal to Severus. He knew that all members of the family would be dealing with their own grief and that they needed the others. Wishing to grant the family its privacy, Albus quietly took his leave of the room.

"Sir?" An exhausted voice sounded behind the professor.

"Yes, Gregory?" This was not a time for formality, even Severus was willing to remember that.

"Anza is asleep now. All of that crying finally wore her out."

"Thank you, Gregory."

The young man made to leave for the door, but he was stopped by his head of house.

"Thank you, Gregory," he repeated looking into the scared and angry eyes of Gregory Goyle. "Thank you for comforting my daughter. She is quite fortunate to have a friend like you. I know I am very grateful that you have always been there for her."

He had no response for the gratitude bestowed upon him by the Head of Slytherin. Gregory simply nodded his head and disappeared out of the room.

* * *

Sidonius only stayed one night in the castle. That old building held too many memories of the past and too many impossible hopes for the future for him. He had fallen in love with Veda there in his second year. For years he pursued her until she finally agreed to go with him on a Hogsmeade visit their fourth year. From that moment until the end of their school years they had been inseparable. Then he used to stare at his children and imagine what they would be like when they were old enough for school. He loved them as young babies and toddlers, but he also was excited for the day when he would help them buy their first wands and the first time they would cross the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. Now… now those were dreams that could never come true. He felt it best that he return to the Snape manor to make funeral arrangements before moving out of that home completely. No longer did he wish to spend time in the cold, empty mansion.

Anza collapsed into a fit of tears in the middle of one of her classes the day after hearing the news. It took both Gregory Goyle and Ron Weasley to get her to the hospital ward. The two boys were willing to work together only because of how much they each cared about the young woman. She was Gregory's best friend. Ron had grown to care about her great deal after making peace with the fact that as long as Charlie was his brother he was going to have to deal with Speranza Mariah Velousova Snape. The times that they spent together outside of Hogwarts and the few times they were able to spend time together in Hogwarts created a tentative and then a genuine friendship between the two. While it was difficult because of their houses to maintain a completely open friendship, they were still close allies.

She remained in hospital for two full days. Madam Pomfrey was not willing to let the girl leave until she had rested and calmed completely. Her emotional distress greatly saddened the elderly healer. Poppy still thought of Anza as the little curious girl with auburn braids who used to run around the hospital ward. She took extra special care of the young woman.

Severus did not know, even over eighty years after the fact, how he made it through those first seventy-two hours. As the head of the family he knew he had to remain strong for the surviving members. Sidonius needed the strong elder brother he had always counted onto be there when he needed him. Anza needed her father more than ever. After the stay in the hospital ward, a time in which Gregory rarely left her side, and Daphne and Millicent were often present, Anza needed constant reassurance from her father. Her greatest fear had come true… now she had to see her father often to be certain he was still there. She was terrified of losing him too.

News of the death of Veda Snape and her children spread through the country like wildfire. Some rejoiced in the death of the 'filthy Mudblood who had polluted the great Snape blood' while most were shocked and horrified beyond belief that someone as well-liked as Veda could be murdered in broad daylight in a public place. The details of her death and the death of Dermot and Brenna were published in the _Daily Prophet_. Severus found that first week after the deaths and especially in the time up until the funeral almost unbearable. Every student knew what had happened to his family. The events somehow humanized him in their eyes. Every time he entered a classroom he saw the same look of pity in the eyes of the students he had worked hard to fear him. He hated stepping into the dungeons. His sanctuary had been polluted with the concerns of hundreds of the dunderheads he was forced to teach each term.

"Professor?"

Severus cringed at the sound of her voice. He had been expecting her to approach him since the day after Sidonius' unplanned visit to the Great Hall. Now after a particularly difficult potions lesson, Severus was not in the mood to deal with her and those damned… well, that damned look she always had.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He did not even turn to face her, instead busying himself with the cleaning out of a smoking cauldron on his desk.

"I have something I wish to say to you."

He did not turn to look at her even at that comment. Today was certainly not the day.

"If you have condolences then please refrain from giving them to me, Miss Granger. I have had quite enough to last me a lifetime, thank you."

"Wha… oh, no, sir. I wanted to speak to you on a different matter."

Curious to know on what matter she wished to speak to him on, Severus turned to face the young woman. He gave her his full attention.

"Yes?"

"Since Christmas I have been doing some studying of my own…"

Severus looked around the room suspiciously before allowing her to continue. He certainly could not afford to have some nosy sixth year hear what she had to tell him… because he knew exactly the matter she wished to speak about.

"I found some articles in past issues of _Potions Periodical_. There were quite a few that could be helpful to solve the problems you faced with that experimental potion of yours. I made some notations of my own in the margins."

She thrust a stack of neatly organized parchment into his hand.

"I thought you might be interested in another person's view… maybe I found something, most likely not, but it is nice to have another person's take. Sometimes we have trouble seeing every angle."

Hermione rushed from the potions lab before he could say a word to her. Severus stored the parchment in the upper drawer of his desk. Perhaps some night if he was having difficulty sleeping he might read her thoughts. Feeling his stomach grouse to him that it longed to be fed, Severus crossed the chilly classroom to the door. He was halfway down the corridor and preparing to turn a corner when he heard voices. Always one to wish to know the situation before making his presence known, Severus found a large statue to skulk behind. From his vantage point the potions master could see the entire event unfold.

"Are you crying _again_, Velousova?" drawled Draco Malfoy. He and his cronies Crabbe and Nott, who had taken Gregory's spot, came upon a sniffling Anza who had been in the middle of a conversation with the aforementioned Gregory. "Don't you do anything else but cry?"

"Leave me alone, Malfoy," she said quietly, obviously not in the mood for banter with the loathsome wizard she had hated since she was two. "I am not in the mood for your games."

"Still crying over that Mudblood aunt of yours?"

Severus had to stop himself from pouncing on the young man. He had never particularly cared for Draco Malfoy, or any Malfoy for that matter, but something about the new generation of the silvery headed gits put him on edge. It would not do, he had to remind himself, to make an enemy out of Lucius at this point in the war. Too much was going on… too many people were dying. Neither side could see an end coming any time soon. Severus had to remain cool.

It was not Severus Snape that actually pounced on Draco Malfoy, but rather the younger and more feminine Anza Snape. The moment 'Mudblood' came out of his mouth, Anza leapt at him. She knocked him, despite her petite frame, to the ground. Anza was able to get a couple of strong punches that made her father exceptionally proud to the face of Draco Malfoy before a pair of strong hands pulled her off of him. Gregory did not want to see his friend, Anza that is, get hurt by the foolish actions of the boy he used to follow around.

"The Mudblood and her half-breed children got exactly what they deserved," Draco spat out once Theodore Nott had him pulled up to his feet. "You should be proud that they are dead."

"I should be proud that my aunt, whom I loved very much, and her babies were murdered in cold blood by a bunch of cowards!" Her shrill voice rang through the corridor.

"I would watch what I said, if I were you," Draco warned coolly.

"Well, as you can see, I am not you," she spat back.

"As my father told me, when your uncle married that Mudblood whore she got him kicked out of the family. Served him right, I say. No one who would willingly mix blood with a Mudblood deserves to be in a noble family."

"You do not know what you talk about, Draco." Severus had never seen Anza this mad. It was a bit scary. He was grateful to see that Gregory had a firm hold on his daughter's shoulders, preventing her from leaping at the young wizard again.

"Snape is one of the oldest wizarding names out there," Draco continued. "It was polluted when your uncle Sidonius married. A great shame was brought on your family name… Snape was cheapened by the mere existence of a Muggle born member. Now that she is dead along with her bastard children you can be proud that the name has been restored."

"You speak of names as if they are more important than actual people."

"Names _are_ more important than people, especially Mudbloods."

"What a sad, little, sniveling weasel you are."

Anza and Draco stared each other down for a long silence that felt like an eternity for the onlookers. When neither of them budged, Draco finally spoke.

"I should have guessed this is what would become of someone who willingly spent their time with a _Weasley_."

Anza glared back at him even harder. If looks could kill…

"Some wizarding families are better than others… you should know that, Miss _Velousova_. You cheapen both your names with your Mudblood loving."

"Veda was an amazing and truly gifted witch who…"

"Was a Mudblood. The only thing that makes a Mudblood worth more is its death."

Anza tried to get out of Gregory's grasp, but he was too strong.

"You have worn out your welcome in this castle… and this country, Miss Velousova. Soon you will see just how much your kind is not welcome." Draco said in a warning tone. "You and your precious _Weasley_ will learn that lesson."

Draco turned to go up the staircase to the Entrance Hall. When he saw only Theodore Nott and Vincent Crabbe were following him, he turned back around.

"Come on, Goyle," he ordered like an impatient child demanding a toy.

"N-No," Gregory replied firmly, but with a hint of tremor in his voice. He did not move from the place he was standing.

"Come _now_, Goyle." Draco ordered again.

"No, I am not going anywhere with you," Gregory said this time with a bit more confidence.

"You would rather stay here with _that_ then come with your friends to lunch?"

Gregory stood up to his fullest, intimidating height.

"Anza is my friend," he stated resolutely.

"Do not fool with me, Goyle," Draco warned. "I can make your life a living hell."

"Anza is my friend… and… you are not."

Severus could see his daughter balloon up with pride at her friend's words. Never before had Gregory Goyle stood up to Draco. His entire life he allowed the boy to bully him around. Anza certainly had a strong effect on him.

"You would rather be friends with a Mudblood lover than you would me?"

"Better that than… than a git like you."

Draco descended the few steps he had climbed to cross to Gregory. Though he was twice the size of the blonde haired boy at least, Gregory was still quite intimidated. He flinched the closer Draco got to him.

"If I go up these stairs and you do not follow me," Draco began with clenched teeth. "Then our friendship is over… _forever_. All the benefits you had will be gone… _forever_. You will become my enemy… _forever._"

Gregory said nothing to that, only watched as Draco began to walk up the stairs with his two cronies flanking each side of him. He turned on the third step to see if Gregory was following. When he realized he was not, Draco uttered a stern warning.

"Mark my words, Goyle, you and your Mudblood lover girlfriend will meet the same nasty end. It is wizards like you who make the world such an embarrassing place to live. People like you will not last this war… and if by some chance you do, you will not survive the first day of the Dark Lord's reign."

The three Slytherins ran up the stairs to the Entrance Hall. Gregory sat down on a stone bench in the corridor in an obvious daze. Anza sat next to him and put her arm around him for support.

"I cannot believe you stood up to him like that!" She exclaimed, obviously pleased with the actions of her friend.

"I… I… I just refused a Malfoy," he said in little above a whisper. "You cannot come back from that."

"Tell me that you are not really as frightened of Malfoy as you seem?"

"Are you not worried at all of what he could do to you?"

Anza laughed at that comment. She threw her head back and laughed a vicious laugh.

"Malfoy cannot change his socks without the permission of his father. He has no courage, no guts." She replied with an air that exuded confidence. "Trust me… when the final battle comes, if Draco Malfoy has somehow not managed to piss someone off too much that they kill him beforehand, he will not stand at the end of the battle. He will fall… because he is a coward."

"Are you saying we should fight for the other side?" The thought of fighting on any other side than the side of Voldemort's had never occurred to the young man. Though he was frightened of what a world under the Dark Lord would be like, he never imagined that he would willingly oppose him… especially not publicly.

"Would you rather live in a world where the Dark Lord reigns supreme? Where people like the Malfoys control everything? Where you have to continually fear for your life and the lives of your family simply because you might do something to upset someone with a tiny bit more power than you?"

He was silent for a minute as he took in all that she said. Finally he spoke.

"I want to live in a world where I can wake up in the morning and not be afraid that that will be the day that all hell breaks loose. I want to live in a world where I can meet and marry whomever I please. I want to live in a world where I can teach my sons and even my daughters, Quidditch without fear that they could be taken away from me at any moment."

Anza squeezed Gregory's hand in hers.

"That is exactly the kind of world I want to live in too. Do you honestly believe we can have those kind of lives if V-Voldemort is in control?"

"No."

"Then I will do whatever I can to make sure he does not ruin my future."

Severus should have been upset and a bit frightened that his daughter was speaking so candidly with a Goyle. He should have stopped the conversation before it ever got to the point where Anza said she would do anything to oppose the Dark Lord. He should have been worried that Gregory would run off to tell his father or worse, Lucius Malfoy… but for a reason he was not entirely sure of, Severus did not feel the urgency. Perhaps what Anza had told him on the Knight Bus during their return trip to Hogwarts was correct. Maybe Gregory Goyle would willingly fight for the side of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix if simply given the chance… if simply given the assurance that his life and the lives of his future family could be better.

* * *

A tense presence fell over the castle as the year progressed, coming close to its end. Every single person within the Hogwarts castle had been affected by the war raging outside. Every day someone new, someone associated with another student, was murdered or captured, on both sides. It was getting harder each day for the students and the staff members to distance themselves from the war. He Who Must Not Be Named was gaining footholds all over the country, but in just the same fashion, Albus Dumbledore and his resistance movement were breaking them down. Minerva McGonagall had all but taken over for Dumbledore as he was often gone for weeks at a time. Neither side seemed to be winning… they both were in fact losing. Order members were falling every other week. The meetings were affairs that no one wished to go to anymore. Each time they entered the doors they counted each other, all of them knowing that this would be the last time they were all gathered under the same roof.

Within the Hogwarts' Castle the students were beginning to emulate what was happening in the rest of the world. Students were often ganging up to fight with other groups of students. For once the lines were not drawn at the Houses. Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins were all fighting in these fragmented groups. Some fought to assert the fact that the Dark Lord would prevail, that all non-purebloods should leave the school. Others fought for the exact opposite. Many chose neither side, only wished to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. Lessons were damn near impossible. Fights broke out quite often, even in the confines of the dungeons.

Everyone was thankful when the weeks leading up to final exams began. Too much energy was focused on studying for the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s or for the regular end-of-year exams. A peace fell over the castle, but it was not to last long. As Anza Velousova Snape sat her last final in her first year at Hogwarts, hell did indeed break loose.

Severus was just beginning to reach the end of his finals marking when a frantic Flora Sprout burst into his office. She looked haggard, more haggard than usual that is. Her eyes were wild and she was obviously frightened.

"What is it, Flora?" Severus demanded, jumping up from his seat at his desk.

"Sibyll Trelawny has been abducted!"

"What!" This was one of the biggest fears the Order had. Extra wards and precautions were taken to be certain this very thing never happened. What could have possibly gone wrong?

"She was administering her final for the sixth years," Flora began to explain. "I knew you would want to know this because it was your daughter she was testing when everything happened."

Now he was really anxious to know what happened. Why was his daughter always the one to find herself in these spots? She had to be the largest magnet for trouble ever created. She always had been… since she was a little baby it seemed.

"What happened, Flora?" He demanded, his voice stronger than before.

"I don't really know," she replied. "Lavender Brown was concerned after neither Anza nor Sibyll left the Tower after an hour. Several students were still waiting to take their test. Fearing that something awful had happened, Miss Brown climbed into the Tower. Miss Velousova was lying on the floor unconscious. She had been hit over the head with one of those heavy, gaudy candlesticks Sibyll likes so much."

"Is Anza all right!"

"She is in the hospital ward now. Poppy is trying to revive her."

Severus left the dungeons as quickly as he could with Flora Sprout following as closely behind him as her short legs would allow. As they traveled she tried to fill in the rest of the story.

"The window to the tower was open," she said. "But Sibyll was not in the room. Chairs and bookshelves had been knocked over. Papers were everywhere. It looked as if someone tried to get out of the room in a hurry and to find some sort of evidence."

Severus threw the doors to the hospital ward open. Poppy was rushing across the room to a bed closed off by curtains. Feeling certain that his daughter was in that bed, Severus strode across the marble floor. Poppy was pouring potion after potion down Anza's throat. After the seventh concoction, Anza sputtered and woke up. She immediately sat up in bed with feral eyes.

"Where is she!" Anza demanded, trying to get out of bed, but stopped by both her father and the healer in charge.

"Not to worry, Miss Velousova," Poppy said calmly. "The Headmaster has the Ministry out looking for Professor Trelawny right now. They will find her soon. She will be just fine, you'll see."

"She will not be fine when I get through with her!" Again she had to be stopped by her father from trying to leave her bed.

"Speranza, you will stay in bed until given permission to leave by Madam Pomfrey," he warned.

Anza sighed her dramatic sigh before laying herself back on the bed.

"She tried to kill me," Anza announced. "Are you not concerned enough to be out there looking for her?"

"She tried to kill you?" This was certainly not the version of events that Severus was anticipating. "Professor Trelawny tried to kill you?"

"Yeah, the evil bitch tried to kill me. She might have succeeded too if she could actually see out of those glasses of hers." Anza was fuming. She looked ready to go out and search for Sibyll Trelawny herself, despite the fact that the injury to her head still looked pretty serious. "You know, I'm getting a little sick of being in this damn infirmary."

Severus was too angry at the information his daughter had just shared with him to say anything about her continued use of profanity. The news that Sibyll Trelawny tried to kill his daughter was still quite difficult to process. Why would she want to do that? Nothing made sense.

"Why would Professor Trelawny want to kill you, Anza?" He asked carefully, ready for an outburst of her infamous temper.

"I don't know… maybe because she's crazy! Or maybe she saw in her crystal ball that she was going to kill me and she had to prove to herself that she had the fucking Inner Eye!"

"Speranza…" His voice was low, but she heard his anger. "Did something happen in the tower… tell me everything that happened."

Anza was frustrated beyond belief at her father and the situation as a whole that she had found herself in. She had just had a horrible day that ended with a trip to the hospital ward. In one year she must have been there over three dozen times. All she wanted was to leave the room and find that damn 'Seer'. Her father kept pushing her back down on the bed when she tried to get up to leave. He obviously did not understand her fury.

"I think it best if I sit in on this discussion," Albus Dumbledore said as he crossed the ward to the Snapes and Madam Pomfrey. "There are quite a few questions that I have for Miss Velousova… er, Miss Snape."

"Only one thing you need to know, Headmaster," she answered in an aggravated tone. "That Divination _professor_ of yours tried to kill me! A right old fraud she turned out to be. I should have listened to Hermione."

"What happened, Miss Snape?" Albus was not at all bothered by Anza's abrupt reply. He understood that she had had quite a day.

"All right," she sighed loudly. "I went to the tower for my Divination final. It was embarrassingly simple really. Professor Trelawny asked me to look into a crystal ball to see what I saw. Well… I did exactly as she asked, but she did not like what I told her."

"What did you see, Anza?" Professor Snape was typically very much a skeptic when it came to Seeing, but he knew that there were witches and wizards out there who actually could See. Had his own daughter not proven that before?

"Nothing at first. It was all really hazy."

Severus almost laughed at that statement. The only times he had ever looked into a crystal ball, and he had looked quite a few times since Anza's return, all he ever saw was a haze. He never saw anything else. How anyone could was beyond him.

"I focused in, tried to clear my mind of all outside thoughts," she explained. "Then I saw a graveyard. Ugh, I am so sick of always seeing graveyards. I wish just once I could see something positive and uplifting."

"Did you recognize the graveyard?" Severus asked, wondering if what the crystal ball showed was anything like the dream she had months earlier.

"No, but I could definitely tell it was a wizard graveyard. Trelawny asked me to describe some of the stones that I saw. That was when she started to act strangely. I told her I saw large, ornate gothic looking stones with engravings in a language I could not read. Then there were some I could read but they were French. She asked me to read some of the names and I was shocked to see 'Trelawny' over and over again. I saw a fresh grave with a new marker. When I got closer it said 'Sibyll Patricia Trelawny'."

"What was the date of death?" The Headmaster asked gently.

"She asked the same question, but she did not like the answer. It read today's date."

"This is ridiculous," muttered Minerva McGonagall who had entered the hospital ward only moments after the Headmaster. "She spends her entire teaching career predicting the students' untimely and gruesome deaths and then she runs scared when one of them actually predicts her own. A taste of her own potion, if you ask me."

The remaining teachers and staff members thought the same thing as Minerva, but as with most cases, she was the only one with enough gumption to actually say what she was thinking. It was a rare gift that too few people possessed.

"Trewlawny was frantic when I told her what I saw, but she implored me to continue," Anza continued to explain. "I saw He Who Must Not Be Named standing over her grave laughing." She shuddered involuntarily at the thought. Looking up into her father's eyes he could see the fear she felt. "It was awful."

"Was that the end of your prediction?" Albus asked.

"Yes, uhh, she did not like the last part very much. She started ranting and raving about how being connected to Albus Dumbledore in any form was an excellent way to get herself killed these days. Then she said, 'I knew I should have taken that job that I was offered as Narcissa Malfoy's personal seer! Did she not just send me an owl the other week mentioning how much Draco had learned in her class?'"

The Order members were not shocked in the least to hear that Narcissa Malfoy had made that offer. One of the largest goals of the Death Eaters was to capture Professor Trelawny to find the old prophecy she made about the Dark Lord and Harry Potter. There had been an operative within the castle the entire year, but they had obviously been unsuccessful. Surely they would have tried other approaches to remove Sibyll Trelawny from the safety of the Hogwarts castle.

"We were made to believe that Professor Trelawny was captured and abducted," the Headmaster said after they took a moment to process what they had just heard.

"Whomever found me must have thought the worst… or thought the best of the professor."

"Is that when she attacked you, child?" Poppy asked. "After you made the prediction and she started to yell?"

"She hit me with a stupefy curse and then hit me over the head with her ugly candlestick." Anza reached up to touch her head. It had not ceased to pound no matter what Poppy gave her to drink. "Before I passed out I was able to see her reach into her cupboard for a broomstick. I assume she flew out of the tower window to Merlin knows where."

Anza's story was done. The healer believed that she should rest after taking a Dreamless Sleep Draught. She had been through entirely too much that day. Severus stayed by his daughter's side long after she was asleep; long after the sun went down.

"Is she all right, Professor?" A familiar voice snapped Severus back to reality a little after ten that night.

"Wha… oh, yes, Miss Granger. She will be just fine," he replied, for once not snarky in the least to the Gryffindor prefect.

Severus looked to see a drained Hermione Granger standing in the dim ward. Even though there was only a small light on in the far corner of the room, moonlight providing most of the light, Severus could see bags under her eyes. She had obviously not been taking care of herself. But, he reminded himself, who had time to these days? Who had time to get eight hours of uninterrupted, nightmare-free sleep? Who had time to merely sit and relax at the end of the day? Who had time to enjoy something as simple as a cup of tea? No one.

"Lavender told me what happened… or at least what she believes happened to Anza," Hermione continued, moving closer to the professor and his sleeping daughter. "I had to come make certain she would be all right. Lavender made it sound like she was almost dead."

"Her injury was pretty severe," Severus replied. "But… she regained consciousness and was even able to tell us what happened to her. Madam Pomfrey insisted that she spend the night sleeping to finish healing."

"Oh." Hermione looked at the raven-haired (She continued to change her hair color back to black when the slightest bit of auburn began to show through. Her hair reminded her of her mother, someone she was not willing to think of every time she looked into the mirror.) girl sleeping in the stark hospital bed. Anza had gone through so much in such a short time that Hermione could not help but feel sorry for her. Everyone had been affected in some way by the war with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but only a few had lost more loved ones than Anza.

"Forgive me," Severus said quietly, always a bit nervous about speaking so candidly to a student. "But I was unaware that you were close to my daughter."

Hermione gave the concerned father a half-smile.

"I fear I was not too friendly with her in the beginning. I actually rather thought she was a… well, I certainly could not understand how one could be so interested in Divination. The night of her prophecy at dinner I was very rude to her. You can imagine how guilty and foolish I felt after that… I could not even speak to her until well after Halloween, I felt so silly."

She moved closer to Anza's side to get a better look.

"In early November I found her crying in the library."

Anza was an emotional girl, of that everyone who knew her was aware. She had sporadic bursts of emotion. One moment she could be extremely, almost annoyingly, upbeat and then the next second she was sobbing over the tiniest thing. Change was stressful for Miss Snape. She had difficulty all year adjusting to her new school. Severus had watched her helplessly, not knowing where to even begin to guide her.

"Why was she crying then?" Severus asked, a hint of a joke present in his voice. Hermione heard the humor and managed a weak, but genuine smile before continuing.

"She was working on a charm that she was simply having no luck with. I offered to help. Naturally because of our earlier interactions she was wary at first. But… when she knew she needed help, she and I practiced together in one of the back study rooms. I guess you might say that was where our friendship began."

"You must have done an excellent job keeping it a secret," Severus replied. "I was unaware… and believe me when I say there is very little that happens in this castle that I do not know about."

"I do believe you." She smiled at him again, both of them feeling a foreign ease with the other. Hermione could only think of one time they had spoken this long together without yelling or rude remarks. On Christmas a strange sort of peace existed between the two who usually considered the other the adversary.

"Am I to assume that my daughter's improved Charms scores are partly your doing?" For once he found that he had no urge to be rude to the Gryffindor Know-it-all. Severus was actually enjoying, though he would never admit it even under threat of torture, the conversation he was having with Miss Granger. His nerves had been tried all day… strangely he found the young woman to have a calming effect on him that evening. Usually she served the exact opposite purpose. It was nice, he had to admit, to know that someone else in the castle was looking out for his daughter's well being.

"No," she answered, a tiny blush evident even in the dark. "Anza did that all on her own. I merely… nudged her in the right direction."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. The only sounds were Anza's slow breathing and wind blowing outside the castle walls.

"She has been going through a rather difficult time," Hermione announced, though there really was no need. That intelligence was not news. "The death of her aunt and cousins really struck her, Professor."

"I am unfortunately am all too aware, Miss Granger."

Hermione instantly knew how silly her remark was. She could have cursed herself.

"Of course, I was not… please forgive me, Professor." She hastily replied. "Naturally this has been a difficult time for you as well."

"My brother's grief and my daughter's grief are more important to me than my own. But… I must say that I am glad my daughter has finally found friends in this school. She needs to have peers with whom she can confide in."

Severus was surprised with himself. He had not expected to speak so frankly with Miss Granger. Speaking of his grief? And how he was happy that his daughter had friends to confide in? He had to be careful or he would definitely lose the fear he had worked so hard to earn. Something just made him speak when he was in her presence… almost as if he had no control… and he was not used to having no control.

"Peers are good to have," Hermione began, but stopped before she continued. Her abrupt halt was not lost on Severus. He gave her a strange look before she finished her thought. "I wonder if might suggest something of a personal nature?"

He hesitated, but Severus finally relented.

"Anza needs a woman to talk to with whom she can trust implicitly. She misses her aunt dreadfully. From what I gathered from our conversations, Veda was the mother figure she had in her life. What Anza needs right now is… a mother."

"I assume you are aware of what a terrible mother her actual mother is." Once more he surprised himself with the amount of information he was willingly divulging.

"Of course I am not speaking about that woman," Hermione answered, her repugnance evident in her tone. "Marina Velousova may be the woman who carried her and delivered her, but she is not Anza's mom."

"Then who, pray tell, are you talking about?" Despite himself the mention of Marina put him on edge.

"Gwendolyn Wakefield is the woman that Anza considers to be her mother. She is the one who has comforted her, the one who has praised her, the one who has been everything and more that a mother should be. She is who Anza needs right now."

Obviously Hermione's suggestion was accurate. Since Veda's death Anza had not had the mothering she so desperately needed. Veda had stepped in to fill a role for the girl when she did not have to. With her death, Anza found herself once again without a mother. Severus tried to help her all that he could, but he naturally found himself coming up short. Anza needed Gwen.

"As I understand it, Ms. Wakefield will not return to Britain because of something that happened in the past. Is she running from the Ministry? Lupin never explained that to me fully," Severus replied.

"Remus has never told me why she will not come back either, but I know we have to make her. Remus even mentioned that he would feel a whole lot better if she and her son returned to Britain. He does not like the idea of them being so far away and among such dark witches and wizards. I believe he fears they might be soon surrounded by V-Voldemort supporters."

"I agree that Anza needs someone right now… that much has been made painfully obvious to me these past few months. How do you expect to induce Ms. Wakefield to return?"

"We can only trust that with Remus' insistence that he fears for her safety and that Anza truly needs her, Gwendolyn Wakefield can be convinced to return home." 


	27. Chapter TwentySix

Chapter Twenty-Six

Severus stopped to think on Miss Granger's proposal. Yes, finding a way to bring Gwendolyn Wakefield back to Britain would be an extreme benefit for Anza. Severus was at his wit's end with what to do with her. He was unused to not knowing a quick solution. That troubled him greatly.

"All right," he conceded. "I will speak with Lupin about the matter as soon as I get a chance."

"Forgive me, Professor Snape," Hermione replied quietly. "But I have already owled Remus to ask him myself."

He was not surprised at that confession. Interfering in personal matters was what Hermione Granger seemed to do better than even her schooling. Of course she would put her nose into matters it did not belong. Of course she would act before consulting with the proper authority. Had she not been doing that since she was eleven years old? But… for once Severus was not angry with her actions. He was not angry that she had difficulty minding her own business in this situation.

"I should be angry that you decided to take it upon yourself to act for me," Severus began.

"Please understand that I never meant to try to take your place or to go behind your back or to do anything equally awful," Hermione tried to assure him. "I was simply concerned about Anza… especially after what happened to her today. She has been through too much this year."

"That is something I will have to agree with you on." He stopped speaking for a moment. "I should be angry with you… but for some reason I find that I am not."

That reaction to her previous deed was not at all what Hermione was expecting. She was half-anticipating physical violence or at least a more vocal opposition. His passiveness was exactly the opposite of what she expected.

"Perhaps I am not angry because I know that Ms. Wakefield is exactly who Anza needs right now," Severus continued. "And I have only just realized how much you care for her… but, I warn you, Miss Granger. Do not interfere in business that is not your own again. The next time I may not be so forgiving… or whomever else you interfere with will not so ready to look past your actions."

"Yes, sir," she solemnly replied.

A brief silence fell again between the two.

"The students are leaving the castle tomorrow," Hermione announced, looking for something, anything to break the silence.

"So soon?"

"Parents have been owling all day," she replied. "Since the news of Professor Trelawny's abduction right out of the Hogwarts' castle no one feels the school is secure anymore. Now that exams are over, the students are all leaving in the morning… without a leaving feast."

"Only the castle is still safe," Severus muttered under his breath angrily. "Trelawny was not abducted as everyone fears."

"What?" Hermione had heard all day long how Sibyll Trewlawny had been kidnapped from inside the castle. She felt great fear along with all of the other students. No one had told her the truth and it looked like Professor Snape, the most tight-lipped of all the staff members let private information slip. "If she was not kidnapped…"

"She left on her own," he answered the question before she even finished it. "She left on her own after trying to kill my daughter."

There was a great deal that Hermione Granger did not like about Professor Sibyll Trelawny. That was common knowledge throughout the castle. Was she not the only student to so publicly storm out of her class in the middle of a lesson? Most students found her to be counterfeit, certainly, but they never said so to her face. She had enough of a mystical aura around her to convince the impressionable students that she knew more than they. Except, of course, for Hermione Granger. She did not appreciate the woman's teaching style, skills or her claimed magical gifts. She did not care for the woman even as a person, but something in her found it difficult to believe that she would ever try to physically harm someone. Cognizant of the fact that Severus Snape had been through quite the ordeal that day, she did not charge his with false accusations.

"Professor Trelawny tried to _kill_ your daughter?" She asked in a way she hoped did not convey her skepticism.

"Yes, Miss Granger," he replied, giving her no doubt that he knew she was having difficulty believing him.

"She really tried to kill Anza?"

Still belief had not set in. One might have had more luck getting her to believe that a Crumple-Horned Snorkack actually did exist in Sweden then to get Hermione Granger to believe that Professor Trelawny, the old fraud, would ever willingly inflict violence on someone, especially a student.

"That is the story that the Headmaster, the Deputy Headmistress and I all heard and believe."

"Oh." Even she could not argue with that. Three of the people she admired the most and trusted implicitly believed the story. "What happened?"

With the absence of Anza's dramatics… the long sighs, her profane words, her general flair for storytelling, the story of Anza's near death and the escape of Professor Trelawny was told in less than a few minutes. Severus regaled Miss Granger with the no-fluff, no-frills version of the telling. When he was done, Hermione was incensed.

"All of those times she predicted a gruesome, horrible death for Harry… all those times she predicted pain, suffering and a short life…" She was furious as her professor had never seen her before. "And the one time she hears a prediction she cannot stomach she tries to murder the prophet and runs away like a coward."

Severus was beyond furious himself, if Sibyll Trelawny stood in front of her that moment he would kill her immediately, but he could not help but find humor in Hermione's comment. When she saw the amusement in his eyes and briefly across his face, Hermione was puzzled.

"Surely you cannot find this situation funny," she chastised him gently.

"I assure you, Miss Granger, I do not find what happened to my daughter funny in the least. Few times in my life have I felt the anger I feel right now."

"Then what is it?"

"Professor McGonagall said almost the exact same thing that you said… about the prophecies and running away." He instantly felt ashamed of himself that he behaved that way in front of a student. "I was just wondering if all Gryffindors thought in the same manner."

Before Hermione had a chance to respond to that comment, the door to the Hospital ward opened quietly. A solemn Albus Dumbledore crossed to the bed where Anza slept. The clock in the ward read just after ten. Noticing the time, Albus looked down at the sleeping form of Miss Snape and wordlessly shook his head.

"Headmaster?" Hermione asked, concerned at the expression he had on his face.

"I am afraid I have some terrible news." Professor Dumbledore looked down at the floor. "Aurors from the Ministry of Magic found the body of Sibyll Trelawny a little over an hour ago twenty miles east of Hogsmeade."

Of course the former Divination teacher had a bull's-eye target on her. Death Eaters no doubt were simply waiting for the moment she would step outside of the Hogwarts' grounds. Sadly no one in the room was surprised to hear that news.

"What happened?" Hermione asked, though she thought it silly after the words came out of her mouth.

"Perhaps I should not give any details," Albus said, shaking his head once more. It was as if he were trying to remove thoughts or memories from his mind with that physical action. Something was disturbing him terribly.

"Are you worried that I will tell someone what you tell me here?" She asked, a little insulted that her Headmaster might believe that. "Because of course I will keep everything that is said here private."

"That is not what I am worried about, Miss Granger." Dumbledore was able to spare a weak smile for the girl to assure her of his trust in her. "The… Professor Trelawny's death was quite… brutal."

No one in the room said anything as they let that knowledge sink in. Severus and Hermione both simply imagined the killing curse was used on the professor and that was that. Avada Kedavra was not brutal, well… it was not as brutal as deaths could go. At least the curse made death instantaneous.

"Brutal?" Severus was curious to know. "How so?"

"Will you be all right to hear this, Miss Granger?" Albus Dumbledore did not like sharing gruesome details with a young woman, but he knew that she of all people would know the seriousness of what he was about to tell her.

"Y-Yes, I will." Her voice shook, but she meant every word.

"Sibyll was found with…" Albus shook his head again; it had become an involuntary motion. "Please forgive me… I only just returned from the scene a few minutes ago."

He had to stop for a moment to collect himself. Whatever Albus Dumbledore saw, and he had seen a great deal in his time, was enough to cause him to tremble at the recollection. Something disturbing had happened.

"Professor Trelawny was found in a wooded area," he continued. "She was indeed killed by the Killing Curse but… but before she was murdered… her eyes were torn out."

Hermione gasped. Severus closed his eyes. Albus shook his head again.

"But Headmaster, that means…" Hermione began, frantic.

"I know, Miss Granger. I am very aware of what that means."

Severus appeared to be the only one present and conscious who did not know what they were speaking about. What did the removal of Sibyll Trelawny's eyes have to do with anything? Yes, it was brutal. Yes, it was grotesque. Yes, it positively reeked of the Dark Lord… but past that, what was Hermione and the Headmaster so upset about?

"Is there some significance to the removal of Professor Trelawny's eyes?" Severus asked, feeling dim and uncomfortable that he did not know the answer to his own question.

"A Seer's power lies within their eyes," Hermione explained.

Immediately Severus stole a glance at his sleeping daughter. She was a Seer… did that mean…?

"Yes, Anza's power is in her eyes," she further explained, understanding what he was thinking without him uttering a word. "When a Seer has their eyes removed, all of their magical power related to Seeing and Divination, is taken away from them. Of course it is rare that a Seer who has their eyes taken from them will live at all, if they do, they will live forever without their ability to see in the physical and to see in the supernatural."

"Yes, Miss Granger," Albus replied. "That is very true. You certainly have done your research on Seers."

"I started studying after that night at Number Twelve," she admitted, her eyes dropping to linger on the floor.

"All right," Severus interrupted. "I understand that a Seer's power lies in their eyes… but why would someone remove their eyes if they were simply going to kill them anyway? Was it some sort of message for whomever found Professor Trelawny's body?"

"Power is not the only thing that lies within a Seer's eyes," Hermione went on to explain further. "Memories… memories and impressions of past predictions or prophecies are implanted inside. Only Dark magic can read the past prophecies, but I am certain V-Voldemort would be willing to use the spell to retrieve Professor Trelawny's past predictions."

Finally Severus understood completely. The Death Eaters who did indeed capture or rather simply came upon Sibyll Trelawny removed her eyes before killing her. The thought of the brutality was enough to send shivers up Severus' spine. Sometimes the acts of his fellow humans disgusted and puzzled the man. They needed Sibyll's eyes to find the prophecy she made sixteen years earlier in the dirty room above the Hog's Head pub. With the spell that Hermione spoke about it would only be too easy for the Dark Lord to find everything he was looking for. What was most disturbing to Severus in this entire situation was not the fear that the prophecy he and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix worked so hard to keep was now in the hands of the enemy. What most disturbed Severus was he knew without a doubt that the Death Eaters who had been sent to retrieve the Seer had taken great pleasure in removing her eyes from her. Severus knew they tortured her. The thought made him sick.

"The Dark Lord has the prophecy?" Severus asked his mentor, hoping that there might be some chance that he would answer in the negative.

"It would appear that Tom does indeed possess Sibyll's prophecy regarding Harry Potter."

"What do we do now, Headmaster?" Hermione asked, terrified of what could possibly happen to her best friend now that Voldemort knew they had to kill each other.

"I will be returning to Number Twelve in the next few days to inform the Order of the new situation. From there we can make a more effective plan."

There was silence in the hospital ward once more. Finally, the Headmaster broke it.

"Severus, there is much that will need to be done in the next few days. Miss… Hermione, you will be returning home tomorrow. Both of you should go to bed immediately."

An order from Albus Dumbledore was not taken lightly. When the Heamdaster left the ward, Hermione took one last look at her friend still sleeping peacefully in the austere cot before turning to leave the room.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," Severus said right as she reached the door to the corridor. She turned back to look at her professor.

"Good evening, Professor."

With a gentle kiss to his slumbering daughter's forehead, Severus headed to the sanctuary of the dungeons.

* * *

Madam Pomfrey did not allow Anza to leave the hospital ward for three days after the incident in the Tower with Professor Sibyll Trelawny. She was not able to leave on the Hogwarts Express with her fellow students to return home for the summer holidays. This was not a fact that bothered the young woman very much. Neither she nor her father were ready to return to their home. Severus had not set foot in his family manor since the day of his sister-in-law's funeral… and the funeral of those babies he loved so much. He was not ready to return… might not be ready for quite some time. Perhaps it was selfish of him, but Severus was almost grateful that Anza could not leave the infirmary for a few days. It only prolonged their return. He was not sure he could handle being in that house without the noise of Sidonius and his young family. The thought made his heart ache.

"Can we stay in the castle?" Anza asked the day Poppy finally let her get out of bed. She walked all the way to the dungeons on her own to find her father. Inside his classroom, he was storing cauldrons and potions supplies for the holidays.

"Do you not want to go home?" Severus asked his daughter as he banished two cauldrons to a cupboard, hoping he sounded disinterested.

"Home? How can it ever be home again?" She sighed dramatically and sat on a desk. "Without Veda, Dermot, Brenna and especially Sidonius, I do not see how the Snape manor could ever be home again."

Severus understood all too well what she was feeling. In the few months since the murders in Flourish and Blotts he had often wondered what to do with that drafty old mansion. When they all lived together as a family, when all of the Snapes were living under the same roof, it had been a warm and welcoming home. For the first time in Severus' life he had found happiness in the manor that had always been a source of fear and anger.

"All right," he conceded. Though he did not like to admit it freely, Severus often had a real soft spot for his daughter. It was hard for him to say no to her, even when that was exactly the word she needed to hear. "We will stay in the castle…"

Anza jumped off the desk and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. She seemed heartened by the news, but Severus knew he had to continue his thought.

"For now," he continued. Her spirits did indeed sink. Anza did not like what her father had to say. "But eventually we have to return, Anza. One cannot run from what they do not wish to confront forever."

Well...he knew he was going to have to take his own advice on that one someday.

* * *

A cool breeze hit Severus in the face with a vengeance. The night air of late July was warm on the ground, but high in the air near the clouds all he could feel was the chill. Only a few clouds permeated the darkened sky that evening. Everything felt oddly still as Severus soared over the Hogwarts grounds on his broomstick. There were times when even the still quiet of the dungeons provided the potions master with little peace and quiet. Often he chose to take to the night sky to get some of his most serious thinking done.

And there was indeed a lot to think about. Only an hour earlier he had returned from a dreaded nighttime revel of the Death Eaters. They were celebrating the massacre of over forty innocent Muggles who simply had the misfortune of living near the Riddle Family's manor. The Dark Lord wanted to be certain to rid the area of his headquarters of the 'nasty, non-magical vermin'. How ironic that the wizard wished to rid the area of the same vermin that he belonged to. Was his own father not a magic hating Muggle? This was a fact not widely discussed amongst the Death Eaters. Their sole purpose was to make the wizarding world open only to purebloods. How could they follow a half-'Mudblood' with a clear conscience? That was something that even Severus could not understand.

The Dark Lord was in rare spirits. Following the murder of Sibyll Trelawny and her preceding removal from her eyes, Voldemort had learned the secrets of the prophecy he had worked so long to retrieve. Knowing that the murder of Harry Potter had to take place so that he could live, there were a great number of new precautions and plans to take out the "Boy Who Lived". Severus, to his annoyance, had been given the task of wading through possible murder theories and plans with Lucius Malfoy. It was not in actuality, a real task, simply a pretense used by Malfoy to ensure he got some privacy with the spy.

"My son Draco said some strange things to me when he returned home a few days ago, Severus," Lucius announced once they were shut up in an old bedroom in the Riddle House. The gloominess of the decrepit room did nothing to make Severus feel the least bit at ease around this horrible excuse for a man. How many times had he been alone with this man when good things were discussed or took place? Sadly, Severus could think of very few, if any.

"Strange things?" He knew what Lucius wanted. He knew that he was to play these little games with the wizard. It was the only way to make the time he spent with the man bearable.

"Your daughter was mostly what we spoke about."

Severus could feel every muscle in his body clench at the mention of Anza. Never did he feel the least bit comfortable discussing the young woman with Lucius Malfoy.

"That is understandable," Severus replied through clenched teeth. "She is, after all, in the same year and house as Draco. They spent a great deal of time together this past year."

"Yes, that is what I was told." Lucius smirked that damn smirk of his. "I must admit that at first I was pleased to hear of the amount of time Draco spent with Miss Snape. Narcissa and I had hopes, I will admit, that our children might one day be able to form an alliance. Snapes and Malfoys have such a long history together."

Severus could feel his blood pressure rise.

"As I have mentioned before, _Lucius_, my daughter will marry for love and for love only. She will never be involved in an arranged marriage."

"Of course I understand that now," Lucius chuckled. "What with all the trouble you put poor Antonin through… I think we are all aware of your feelings about arranged marriages."

A month earlier Antonin Dolohov had requested a meeting with Severus in the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade. He had apologized that the scene of the meeting had to be so coarse, but seeing as he was a marked man, there were few places that Dolohov could actually show his face those days. Even though Aberforth Dumbledore was the barkeep, shady folk still felt quite comfortable drinking fire whiskey in his pub. Severus knew what the purpose of the visit was the moment he received his sealed note from Dolohov. What else could it be after the information that Lucius shared with him on Christmas?

"Thank you for meeting me here, Severus," Antonin said formally as they sat down at what was the least dirty booth in the corner of the pub.

"What is this meeting about, Antonin?" He was not in the mood for small talk or games. Severus was not going to waste time waiting until Dolohov asked the question he knew he would never say yes to.

"You must know, Severus, that I have always admired you." Dolohov was a slick wizard, but that day he was not suave enough. Perhaps he was nervous, but he was not the overly confident wizard his comrade had been used to.

"Please reach your point and purpose immediately, Dolohov," Severus warned. "I have responsibilities and duties at the castle that I cannot skive off."

"Of course, my apologies." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I have had the pleasure of being in the company of your daughter several times now."

Severus immediately sat up even straighter than he already was. He knew about the chance meetings that Dolohov had had with his Anza, but hearing the man speak of them caused his muscles to tense up… an all too common occurrence when speaking with Death Eaters.

"I was unaware that you knew my daughter," Severus lied.

"Yes, Miss Velousova-Snape and I have met a few times in both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley… purely on accident, of course."

"Of course." Severus was cold, his voice dripped with ice. He was not comfortable with the place this discussion was about to go.

"These are uncertain times, Severus. You and I both know that."

"The _point_, Dolohov, please."

"Though they are uncertain times _now_, in only a matter of time the Dark Lord will reign entirely over this country and eventually I would dare to suggest most of Europe. We serve a powerful master."

"And how does this have anything to do with my daughter?"

Antonin shifted nervously in his chair. Though Severus was at least five years younger than he, the wizard was still quite nervous asking the question he so longed to ask. Even as one of the most feared Death Eaters who ever lived and several years spent in Azkaban prison, Dolohov was still as nervous as a teenager encountering a girl's father for the first time.

"I can honestly say that I am not the only one troubled to see with whom your daughter willingly spends her time."

"Lucius Malfoy already informed me that you were the one who found Anza and a Mr. Weasley together in Knockturn Alley."

"The Weasleys and all who are connected with them will be among the first to go under the new regime…"

"And again this is something that Lucius has already mentioned to me."

"I wish to provide your daughter with the safety and stability that she deserves."

Severus felt his stomach twist in knots. If Dolohov had half a mind to, his magical power would be more than enough to defeat Severus in a simple wizard's duel. He was by far a more powerful wizard with his wand than Severus could hope to be. Dolohov could at any moment do something to force the professor to sign a marriage contract. If force was what Dolohov was going to use… neither Severus nor Anza had any chance.

"My family, the Dolohovs were respected in their native country before their exile," Antonin went on to explain after downing an entire glass of fire whiskey in one swill. "There was some nasty business with my grandfather releasing a troll in a Muggle village. He and several other witches and wizards were kicked out. Grindelwald gave them purpose here in Britain. My parents were children when they arrived. Though they made this country their new home, my family has always been tied to the families left behind. My mother's second cousin married a Velousov. She was extremely jealous about the match. I honestly do not think that she has ever gotten over it."

Severus was impatient now. He wanted Antonin Dolohov to ask his question point blank so he could refuse right out. Anza was not going to marry that man. Even if Severus had to die refusing she would be forced into a loveless alliance with that man. Her father would shout 'Never!' with his dying breath.

"What does my daughter's family have to do with this meeting?" he demanded, feeling both brave and timid all at once. Dolohov was not a man to be trifled with.

"It would make my family very proud to once again align itself with the Velousovs."

Dolohov suddenly regained his confidence. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe he remembered how strong of a wizard he was. Maybe he felt the worst part of the meeting was over. Whatever it was made Severus very nervous.

"Align yourself with the Velousovs?"

"Yes, Severus," Antonin replied boldly. "I wish to marry your daughter."

"Anza?"

"I was unaware you had another," he answered sarcastically.

"My daughter will not be forced into a loveless marriage."

Antonin Dolohov looked affronted at the words that had just come out of Severus Snape's mouth.

"It would not be loveless."

"I was unaware that my daughter loved you," Severus spat back bitterly.

"Not yet…" Dolohov said quietly. "But I love her… have since the moment I first saw her in Hogsmeade. In time she will grow to love me."

Severus stood up from his seat. His jaw was set; he was determined.

"I am very sorry to have wasted your time, Antonin, but I must be returning to the castle."

"Will you not reconsider?"

"No… my daughter will marry _when_ she is love. I will not force her into a marriage… any marriage."

Severus turned to cross the pub to the door. Behind him an already angry Dolohov became even more irate.

"You would rather leave her to marry someone below her!"

"If that is where she finds happiness… I will not stand in the way of what my daughter wants. This is _her_ life."

Dolohov crossed the pub to stand only inches from Severus' face.

"I could have saved her… I could have kept her out of the battle that is coming. As my wife she would have been untouchable. But if she continues this dalliance with Arthur Weasley's son she will be among the first to be picked off. Her kind will not be tolerated."

Severus regained some of his lost composure. Remembering he was a Snape and that intimidation was in his blood, he moved closer to Antonin and dropped his voice.

"Funny how you just claimed to love her moments ago… now you speak as if you would take great pleasure in seeing her murdered."

Even a great Death Eater like Antonin Dolohov could not say anything in response to his words. Severus simply turned from the fuming wizard to return to the castle. Deep down the concerned father knew that Dolohov was in love with his daughter… if his sick obsession with the seventeen-year-old girl could be considered love. Perhaps that was the closest Dolohov had ever been to love. Not everyone was as fortunate as Severus had been to have a person like Ursula in his life. As he walked closer to the Hogwarts' Castle, passing the greenhouses, he felt his heart constrict at the thought of Ursula.

_"What with all the trouble you put poor Antonin through… I think we are all aware of your feelings about arranged marriages."_

Severus came back to reality after a short respite. The thought of Dolohov's request irked him even more now that Lucius felt the need to throw it in his face. There were few Death Eaters who were not aware of the marriage proposal. No doubt the information would be all over Slytherin the next school year. Severus would be unable to keep the secret from his daughter at that time. He still had another month and a half before he had to absolutely tell his daughter about the request. Anza would not be pleased. Indeed she would most likely be frightened and disgusted.

"We are all given but one life on this earth, Lucius," Severus replied. "It is for us to decide how we spend it. I will not make the decisions for my daughter that she has every right to make for her own."

"Even if it might mean her certain death?" Lucius could not understand Severus in the least. He was a man unused to giving up an ounce of power that was given him. If he had been in the younger wizard's position, he would have already had a marriage contract drawn up and signed. His daughter would probably have been informed of whom she was going to marry when she turned seventeen. There was power as a father… power that Severus refused to use. Lucius could not understand.

"Anza will make her own path in this life, Lucius. I will not explain myself or my parenting style to you again."

"All right, but I do not like it. Every man should have the power to control his family in the way that he sees best. It is part of both the benefits and the burdens of being the head of the family."

They were silent for a moment as Lucius pondered what he just said and Severus tried fervently to forget it.

"Let us use my sister Lucinda as an example," Malfoy continued. "She has always been a strange one, there is no denying that fact. How she could be born and raised in the Malfoy Manor with the name and blood of Malfoy and still turn out the way she did was shocking. My parents could certainly never understand her. The only person in this family who seemed to even like her as a child was Luca. Oh, but my elder brother was a fool in more ways than just that one."

Severus stared at the carpet. He was not interested in hearing Lucius' ramblings about his younger sister. He rather liked Lucy Malfoy, or rather, Lucy Grunnion. Despite himself, Severus could not help but remember how kind she was to him that summer he was forced to live in the manor as Miloslav Kurach's apprentice. Even though he did not want to stay in the home where his sister had been abused and murdered, Lucy had always managed to make him feel a tiny bit at ease around her. Severus had always liked the youngest of the Malfoy clan.

"After that brother of yours decided to run off and marry that Mudblood, Lucinda suddenly found herself willing to agree to an alliance with the Grunnion family."

"Because of Sidonius?" There had always been speculation that Lucy Malfoy cared more for Sidonius than as simply a friend, but if she did, she certainly had a way of keeping silent about the fact.

"Broke her heart when your younger brother decided to marry Miss Horton. Everyone always assumed that Sidonius would grow out of that phase, wake up and see that he was meant to marry my sister. Had they not been friends their entire lives? They would have made both of our families proud. When your brother eloped with his Mudblood Lucinda almost died of depression. Mother was extremely worried about her, so Father and I did the only thing we knew would make a woman in Lucy's position feel better – we found her another husband. The Grunnion family had been interested in reforming its alliance with our family for years. Their son was a bit older than Lucy, but the marriage took place all the same.

"She seemed happy for awhile. Years passed with her as the elegant society wife. I had always imagined that was the kind of wife every woman wanted to be. Certainly Narcissa loves to play that part. Then her husband's death… what a stupid accident. Now that Father is dead and gone, and Mother right along with him, it is my responsibility to care for my family."

Severus did not like where this discussion was leading. Something about it seemed off to him. Something was disturbing.

"I kept Lucinda away as long as I could, but she wanted to return home. She heard from a friend of hers that Sidonius and his wife were living comfortably in your manor with their two children. While I forbade her from visiting the family, she reverted back to her old self and defied me. She returned after a long visit much altered."

"Altered?"

"She immediately took to her bed. I had no idea why she was so upset, but thankfully I have a perceptive wife. My sister was still very much in love with your brother."

'_This is what happens to Mudbloods who taint the blood of one of wizarding's purest families.'_ The words kept swirling around Severus' already taxed mind. Albus Dumbledore told him the night of Veda's murder what happened in the bookstore. When he heard that the children were crushed under falling bookshelves there had been no doubt in Severus' mind who was the murderer. In Lucius' sick mind he would of course bring up one of Severus' own worst memories. He knew without a doubt that Lucius Malfoy was behind the murders, and for the first time, he understood why.

"You murdered my sister-in-law and her children so Sidonius would be free to marry Lucinda," Severus accused before giving himself a moment to talk himself out of speaking so freely with the Dark Lord's right-hand man.

Lucius smirked his evil smirk. Severus had guessed correctly.

"Snape is a respectable name. I hated to see it besmirched with the blood of the impure. My sister wants to marry your brother… she always has. Getting rid of his wife and children would of course leave open the possibility for the marriage that should have taken place years ago."

"What makes you think that Sidonius would ever remarry? Veda and his children were his life. They are not easily forgotten simply because _you_ murdered them."

"In time Sidonius will come to his senses. He will realize the mistake that he made when he went against your family. He will marry my sister and Veda Horton will be a distant memory to him."

Severus could not believe that anyone, even Lucius Malfoy, could be that cold. He spoke about the death of three innocents and the subsequent ruin of another with such calm and temerity it was sickening. It was as if he were treating the real people with their real feelings and emotions like pawns on a bloody chessboard. Life was one big game for Malfoy.

"Oh, but I do believe we were discussing your daughter," Lucius said after Severus had imagined his death a thousand different ways. The man's ire against him did not faze Malfoy in the least. "Draco informed me that your daughter has all but taken up arms against our cause. He said that she has also poisoned the mind of young Gregory Goyle as well. Something must be done about her, Severus. Or… or I will take great pleasure in setting her straight."

* * *

Yes, Severus' mind the past few days had been working overtime. Even the fly around the grounds did nothing to calm it. He was too agitated to think straight, too nervous and on edge to solve any problem he was faced with. As he began his descent to the ground he suddenly found himself face to face with a silvery phoenix – Albus' Patronus. Whenever he saw this, he was to immediately Apparate to the Headquarters.

"How is Anza, Severus?" Molly Weasley practically assaulted the younger wizard the moment he walked through the door. "Ron told me all about the attack on her… and Hermione filled me in with some of the details. Is she all right?"

"She will be fine, Molly," he assured her gently. "Poppy Pomfrey kept her in the hospital ward for a few days to keep an eye on her. She has been instructed to rest for the next few days as well. It was only a minor head injury. Thankfully Miss Brown found her when she did."

Charlie Weasley was the next redhead to practically assault the potions professor. He had been in Romania for several months, at the request of Albus Dumbledore to recruit even more foreign allies. From his brother he had heard of the attack on his Anza, but had not heard directly from her how she was doing. Severus assured both he and his mother that his daughter would be fine, promised to keep them updated on her condition, and gave them enough information to calm them down enough to where they were able to focus on the meeting at hand.

The meeting of the Order of the Phoenix that evening was fairly standard. Again Severus was forced to admit that he had no new information to provide. Again the rumors were spreading throughout the Order that he had been discovered as a spy and it would only be a matter of time before he was murdered. Naturally the rumors did little to calm Severus' already frayed nerves.

"Did you see where Lupin went after the meeting?" Severus calmly asked Nymphadora Tonks. He wished to speak to the werewolf about what Hermione Granger had already owled him about. With the excitement of the previous few days, Severus had not yet had a chance to speak alone with the man.

"He was headed up to the Drawing Room to use the fireplace," Tonks replied.

Severus could hear an argument coming from within the room. The door was ajar so he was able to gather some of what was happening. Remus was agitated. He was not liking what he was hearing. The other voice belonged to a woman. Something about it seemed familiar, but how was Severus to know who it was? How many women had he spoken to in that very house? Several of them sounded alike.

"Do you want me to beg, Gwendolyn?" Remus said in almost a shout. "Do you want to see me get on my knees in front of this fireplace and _beg_ you to return to Britain?"

"Remus, we have already gone over this," Gwendolyn Wakefield spat back from within the fireplace. Severus tried to get a good look at her, but a large armchair was blocking his view. "I am not going to return. It is too risky."

"Love, I know you are scared," Remus' voice became a great deal gentler after her last statement. "But a lot of time has passed. Things are a lot different than they were years ago."

"From all that you have told me and from all that I have heard elsewhere it does not sound as if all that much as changed."

"I'm worried about you Gwen… you and Sean both. I do not like the thought of the two of you living where you live. It is too dangerous. You do not know who your neighbors really are or where their loyalties lie. Who knows how much longer you will be safe there?"

"Sometimes I wish you could give up your responsibilities and your ties to that country and run away with Sean and me," Gwen sighed. "Do you think I like the idea of you there so close to all of the action and fighting so strongly against You Know Who? Believe me when I say that I have trouble sleeping at night thinking about you and the danger you must be in."

"Do you not think that I have trouble sleeping at night thinking the same about you and Sean? I want you where I can touch you, hold you and know that you are safe. I want to know that Sean is not getting mixed up with the wrong people. You know how much I love him… you know that I could not love him anymore if he had my blood running through his veins."

"I know." She sighed again. "We both know."

"And now with everything that has happened with Anza… She needs you, Gwen. She has lost a great deal and been through more than she should have ever had to. She needs you."

"I know… I miss her so much. Sean can hardly bear being away from her. She is the only sibling he has ever had."

"Then come home, Gwen. Come back."

"I'm frightened, Remus."

"I know you are." His voice was almost a whisper now; Severus had to strain to hear. "But I will do everything I can to keep you safe when you get here."

There was a long silence in the drawing room. Gwendolyn Wakefield was obviously thinking very hard about the conversation they were in the middle of.

"Sean will be there in a few days," she finally announced. "I do not want him here any longer. You and the other Order members can watch over him a lot better than I can."

"And what about you?"

"Give me some time to tie up some loose ends in Belgium. At the end of the summer I will be back."

There was a great amount of relief in Remus' voice when he spoke next. Feeling that this was an excellent time to make his arrival known, Severus knocked on the door as he entered.

"Severus!" Remus was surprised to see him walk in the door.

Before Severus had a chance to take a look at Gwendolyn Wakefield's face, she disappeared from the fireplace. Remus had not even had a chance to say good-bye to her.

"Was that Gwendolyn?" Severus asked, knowing full well who it was.

"Yes, we were discussing her return to Britain." Remus was frazzled to say the least. The full moon would be upon him in a few days as well as everything else.

"And will she return?"

"At the end of the summer," Remus was both relieved and angry at the same time. He was thankful that she had finally agreed to leave that horrible settlement, but he was also angry that she would not come sooner. "Her son will be arriving in a few days though. She wants him to be here with me."

"_Your_ son?"

"Not biologically, no," he admitted with a hint of a smile. "But in every other way."

Severus did not know what to say to that. He had always had a hard time imagining Remus Lupin away from his school chums. He certainly had never imagined him having a woman in his life until the night he read Gwen's letter to Remus about Anza in Hogsmeade. Before if Severus thought that Remus was interested in a woman, he had automatically assumed that he had been interested in Lily Evans like James Potter had been or interested in Ursula Albrecht as Sirius Black had been. Thinking of Ursula again brought back memories and emotions he did not wish to feel in front of the werewolf.

"Is he the reason she had to leave Britain?" Severus asked before he could stop himself. Unmarried mothers were not treated very kindly even in the modern wizarding society.

"No, Gwendolyn did not even know she was expecting until she had already left the country."

"Does the father know?"

"No, he does not… or at least I do not think he knows."

"So he was the reason that she had to leave the country? Sean's father?"

"In a matter of speaking…"

Remus would not continue any further with the answers. And to be perfectly honest, Severus was embarrassed that he allowed his line of questions to proceed as far as they did. Privacy was something of a luxury those days, but he was not about to take it away from a woman he could not remember.


	28. Chapter TwentySeven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Severus found he had difficulty breathing when he Apparated onto the grounds of his family manor. He was preparing to do exactly as he had instructed his daughter to do only a few days earlier … _One cannot run from what they do not wish to confront forever._ So there he was… standing on the grounds of the mansion he had not been to in four months. The thought of his return brought tears to his eyes and knots to his stomach, but he knew that he had to do it. He had to go home… or what the structure had become with the death of his family members. If he ever expected Anza to move on and confront her fears and anxieties, he had to do it first.

Sidonius had taken from the house anything that he wished. To Severus' great surprise he found that very little had been taken. Most of Sidonius' personal belongings were gone, but the clothes and toys of his family members were still in the house. The first room that Severus allowed himself to enter was the family lounge. That had been the room where most of the happy memories were made. That was the room that he watched as his namesake took his first step… the room where his niece snuggled in his arms to sleep… the room where he and Veda spent hours talking about all manner of subjects. That was the room that had had the most life in it… and now it was the room that felt the greatest loss. Grief seemed to permeate every corner to the point that Severus was unsure the room would ever see happiness again.

"Life comes in cycles." His elder sister used to say that to him when something unexplained or undesirable happened. Speranza explained to him when he was five and his pet bird died that the bird had to die so that another might live. He had trouble understanding at that age, but her sage words of advice had helped him throughout the years deal with situations that otherwise might have been impossible.

The house elves had already removed most of the children's toys to the upstairs nursery. At least Severus did not have to worry about breaking down emotionally at just the sight of a miniature Quidditch set or a little girl's doll. When he believed his Anza had died, he could not bear to look at a toy for years. Every time he caught sight of any plaything in the store windows in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley he had to use all of his willpower to keep himself from being sick. The thought of Anza was still so fresh in his mind. Now that two of the children he loved were dead he was afraid he would feel much the same way.

The room that Sidonius and Veda shared on the second floor had also been thoroughly cleaned out. Thank goodness for the perceptiveness of the elderly house elves. They too often understood the family grief… they often knew exactly what to do. Veda had made quite a home in the suite she shared with her husband. Her touches had been everywhere while she was alive. Photographs and knickknacks did not clutter the room, but their selective placement certainly made the space share her personality. Severus was grateful to see that most of Veda's belongings, her feminine touches throughout the room, had not been touched. Even if he never stepped inside that room again he wanted to know that he had left it in much the same way that Veda had enjoyed the room while she was alive.

"Yes, my Lord?" The head house elf Apparated into Veda and Sidonius' clothes cupboard the moment Severus snapped his fingers. The Lord of the Manor stood in the tiny confined space staring at the robes that belonged to his sister-in-law, the robes that Sidonius purposely left hanging there.

"Please take all of Mrs. Snape's clothing to St. Mungo's for their clothing drive," he ordered.

If Veda could never wear them again, at least he knew that someone needy would benefit. She would have wanted that. Despite himself Severus let a small smile escape when he remembered how Veda used to order the Snapes around.

"Sidonius, bring that black and gray robe of yours." Veda demanded while she worked tirelessly amongst a heap of old clothes.

"No," he protested. "That is my favorite. You cannot expect me to give away my favorite robe."

Veda raised a single eyebrow (she had achieved true Snape status when she perfected that look) at her husband. She was not in the mood.

"It is entirely too small for you, Sid."

He was still not willing to give it up without a fight.

"I can alter it… or take it to Madam Malkin's."

"It is too small, Sid. You will not fit into it again. Sorry to say it, but you are not as fit as you once were."

Knowing that his wife was correct, Sidonius grudgingly handed over the robe.

"This will make someone else very happy, love… someone who cannot afford new clothes. Think of them."

Yes, Severus knew that Veda would not wish for her clothing to simply sit in a closet while it could possibly serve to benefit another.

"Certainly, my Lord."

He did not want to do it… the last thing Severus wanted was to stand in front of the door he suddenly found himself in front of. The nursery on the second floor had held more Snapes than anyone could remember. Severus and all five of his siblings had lived within those walls as children. Anza had a brief stay in there when she was young, but her father found it difficult to be parted from her. Veda's personal touches had made the nursery a charming place for Dermot and Brenna to live. As Severus stood in front of the closed door, he found he could not stop the tears that fell from his eyes. Thankful that he had chosen to do this alone, he unashamedly wiped them away with the back of his sleeve.

The warm and sunny room was still full of the toys and clothes of the youngest Snapes. Stuffed animals, dolls, and blankets seemed to fill every corner. Once more the house elves had done well to keep the room clean even while the occupants were no longer there. Severus could feel a lump in his throat as he went from one side of the room to the other looking at everything that had been left behind. Somehow he could not bring himself to make the same order he had made while in Veda's room. He did not want anything moved or anything given away to charity.

Before he could stop himself Severus rushed out of the door of the nursery. Slamming the door shut behind him, he had to choke down the emotions he was feeling at that moment. With a wave of his wand he sealed the room so that none could enter. Someday… someday he would be able to face the cheeriness of the room. Someday he would be able to step inside and not feel helpless. Someday the room would be opened again.

* * *

The day after the full moon of that month Anza was seated at the breakfast table in the Snape manor with her father. She had returned the day before with her father. Severus was surprised to see how well she was actually handling the return. She had only cried a few times and only yelled once at him when she learned that no one was allowed in the nursery. He asked her to respect his wishes and she grudgingly obliged.

"I should have guessed that was what he was going on about when Greg and I saw him in Hogsmeade on our last visit of the term," Anza said, quietly between sips of orange juice.

Severus had just informed his daughter of Antonin Dolohov's proposal. He did not feel that she should go so long without knowing the truth. In time she would have heard from another source about the proposal. That was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked, dropping his toast onto his plate as he spoke. "Dolohov approached you _again_?"

"Yes, Father, but Greg was with me. I followed all of your wishes just as you asked me." She fixed him with a piercing glare. "Antonin saw me in Gladrags. He was different than usual… in a foul mood. I was polite, though after what you told me before about him wanting to marry me I was a bit uncomfortable around him."

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing too interesting, I am afraid. Just asked me how my _lover_ was doing." She did not like to recall the conversation. It still sent shivers up her spine, but she tried to keep her fears about Dolohov secret from her father. "Then he said that he hoped I would be able to live with the decision I made, but if I decided to change my mind, his offer would still be on the table."

Severus desperately did not want to have the conversation he knew he had to have with his daughter. He had to be certain that she knew exactly what she was getting herself into if she continued to pursue a future with Charlie Weasley. Try as hard as he might, he was unable to completely ignore the warnings of Lucius Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov. The Weasleys would indeed be first amongst the people killed if the Dark Lord won.

"Are you convinced that you wish to continue your relationship with Charlie Weasley while everything is still so uncertain?"

Anza glared daggers at her father. He, of all people, should have known exactly what she was going to respond without her even having to open her mouth.

"Of course I am certain, _Father_." She spat the words back at him.

"In these uncertain times…"

"Do you honestly think I do not understand that choosing to be with Charlie has made me a mark for the dark side? Because of course I know!"

"Have you considered waiting… or perhaps, not…"

"Better one hour with Charlie Weasley than a hundred years as Mrs. Antonin fucking-Dolohov!"

She threw her napkin in her plate violently and sped out of the breakfast room. Severus knew where she was headed before he even looked out of the window. Any time she was upset she ran off towards the duck pond. Now that the birds had returned from their winter sabbatical, Anza once again found the place comforting and soothing.

"You do understand that I was not suggesting you actually marry Dolohov, don't you?" Severus asked when he was standing a few feet behind his daughter at the pond.

"I know," she sighed. "I know you would not want me to marry that horrible man… nor would you ever want me in an arranged marriage. We all know how wonderful your own turned out to be."

They were silent for a moment as they both thought reluctantly of Marina Velousova. Each of them hated her, for some of the same reasons as well as some very different reasons.

"My marriage with Marina was awful," Severus admitted. "It was miserable… we fought almost every moment we were in the same room together. But… one good thing certainly came out of it." He gently stroked his daughter's teary cheek.

"You were in love once," Anza shocked her father by saying. "Why did you not marry Ursula?"

Severus had never mentioned Ursula's name with his daughter. She was a part of his past that he simply spoke about with no one. It was entirely too painful for him to remember the young girl he had loved so many years ago.

"How do you know about Ursula?" He could hardly bring himself to say her name as it was.

"Mother… in one of her drunken rants," she explained quietly. "She mentioned you and how you once loved a woman named Ursula. When she said that I thought Ursula was the reason you were no longer married, but I was very young. What happened to her?"

Severus let out a long sigh before answering the question.

"She and I knew each other in school. Yes, we were in love a long time ago, but I made a stupid mistake and lost her." He answered quickly. "Ursula Albrecht died a long time ago. She has been dead for many, many years."

Anza was silent at that admission. Her mother never mentioned Ursula again after that one night, but for eight years Anza wondered who this woman was. While she and her father stared at the ducks playing in the pond, an owl swooped over Anza's head to drop a letter in her lap. Severus, despite himself, read over his daughter's shoulder.

_Sparazaqua,_

_I will be in London tonight, just after sundown. You know where I will be. I cannot wait to see you again!_

_Sean_

Anza Snape's spirits rose dramatically simply by read those few lines. She turned to look at her father with a bright, beaming face.

"Sean will be here tonight!"

"You seem pleased." He was very calm and even in his response.

"Pleased? Of course I am! Sean is the closest I have ever had to an older brother. I cannot wait to see him."

That evening could not come faster for either Anza or Severus. Anza practically skipped through the manor all day. Her behavior was getting on her father's nerves… not to mention he too was quite curious to meet Sean Wakefield. He knew next to nothing about this young man, except that he was apparently a very intelligent wizard. He was the one who solved the mystery of Anza's 'death' before his mother had an opportunity to administer the Veritaserum to Marina.

From everything that Severus heard from Remus, who was always more than happy to brag about Sean, the young wizard was extremely gifted with potions. Remus had just learned the last time Severus spoke with him that Sean received an Outstanding potions N.E.W.T. Now that things were so uncertain in the settlement he lived in, Sean was unsure what he was going to do with his future. A part of Severus was glad to hear that Sean was coming to Britain. He always welcomed those who excelled in potions. With Fleur Delacour, perhaps Miss Granger, and now Sean helping, Severus could only see excellent possibilities for the potions aspect of the Order.

"You will not bore him with talk about potions," Anza warned her father as they stood in front of Number Twelve that evening. They had both just Apparated to the spot. Anza felt it important to keep her father from focusing all of his energy on potions.

"I will only speak potions if he brings up the subject first," Severus promised.

"All right." That was enough to pacify his daughter.

The Snapes were met with a flurry of activity within the walls of the Headquarters. They had only arrived a few moments after Sean Wakefield. Remus held the wizard he considered to be his son in a tight embrace.

"I wish your mother could be here right now," Remus said to the young man.

"So do I," Sean replied. "But she will be here soon."

"Not soon enough for me."

Remus released the young man and smiled when he saw Anza enter the front door. When Remus smiled, Sean turned around. Before Severus even had an opportunity to fully look at the newest arrival, Sean crossed the room. With one swift movement he held a squirming, excited Anza high above his head. They were both excited to see the other. When their violent, but loving embrace was finished, Sean deposited the young woman back to the ground.

"How are you, Sparazaqua? Staying out of trouble?"

Before Sean received a response to his question, Anza threw her arms back around the man. He laughed a quiet laugh and wrapped his arms firmly around her.

"You are not crying again, are you, Anza?" He teased. "You cry entirely too often."

There were quiet chuckles of agreement throughout the room. Indeed most of them knew exactly how much she cried.

"I just did not realize how much I missed you until right now," she managed to say through her tears. "We never need to be apart for that long again."

Sean smiled as he held the young woman he considered to be his younger sister close to him. Severus was finally able to get a clear view of the man. He was quite tall, possibly an inch or two taller than Severus. His hair was a dark chestnut color, his eyes a striking blue. Nothing in his looks made Severus think of anyone he knew. Once more he was unable to think of who Gwendolyn Wakefield was and certainly he did not have a clue who Sean's father was. The mystery was starting to get to him.

"Oh, Sean, this is my father, Professor Severus Snape." Finally Anza remembered Severus. "Father, this is Sean Wakefield."

Another round of introductions ensued as Anza introduced Sean to the Weasley family, several members were present, much of the Order and a few of her friends, Gryffindors of course, from school. Molly Weasley ordered everyone into the kitchen after a few minutes for dinner. She fawned over Sean, certain he needed extra helpings of hot tea and soup to stave off the cold. Like Anza had a year earlier, he traveled to Britain on broomstick. It was the easiest way to travel without being monitored.

"Sean just received an 'O' on his potions N.E.W.T, Severus," Remus announced proudly at the dinner table. "You might very well be able to put him to work soon."

The young man in question looked embarrassed by Remus' comments. He blushed a furious red, his neck turning crimson.

"Remus…" Sean began, but was cut off by Anza.

"Sean will be taking a much deserved rest for a while," she explained to both Remus and her father. "He will not be working… not on potions" She looked at Sean as she said that. "Or on anything else."

"Just as you start to wonder who is in charge, Anza shows up and tells you what to do," joked Sean. He smiled at the girl he was teasing.

A pleasant evening passed, much to Severus' surprise, at the Headquarters. Everyone was in rare form, excited about the newcomer. There had been too much of the same sadness and violence over the past year. They all welcomed a deviation from the usual with open arms. While Severus did do his usual people watching during the meal, he was surprised to find himself willingly engaged in conversations with both Remus Lupin and Sean Wakefield.

"There has to be a way to tweak the potion so that it is more effective." Sean was a passionate young man, especially when speaking about a subject he knew very well.

"Sean thinks he is going to perfect the Wolfsbane potion so that not only do I keep my mind during the transformation, but that I can also keep my human form," Remus explained in a hushed, yet proud tone to Severus.

"Interesting idea," Severus mused quietly. "Could take many years of careful research in the lab…"

"Or one moment of pure dumb luck," Sean joked. The other two men chuckled at the comment as well.

"Very true. The Draught of the Living Death was actually created by a man who was trying to kill himself," Severus explained. "He woke up after his long sleep feeling worlds better and decided to market his product."

"Really?" Remus asked, more than mildly interested. Though he could hardly brew a potion to save his life, he had always been fascinated by the branch of magic using bubbling cauldrons.

"Gives me hope that I could just walk into a lab, throw some ingredients in a cauldron and create your potion for you," Sean laughed.

"I will not be your guinea pig. You _will_ do thorough research on anything you expect me to drink." Remus' threat was serious, but he was also bantering with the young man. The two seemed incredibly comfortable around each other. It was obvious that they had what could be a considered a healthy father-son relationship. Severus privately hoped that nothing would come between them. There were a great many secrets about Sean's past and his mother's past. Something worried the potions professor, though he could not quite tell what it was.

Suddenly Severus found he was not in the mood for conversation. Something weighed heavily on his mind. He quietly excused himself from the table to go upstairs. Most of the Order members were out on duty or simply resting at home. The gathering in the kitchen felt almost like a private family celebration that Severus did not feel a part of. He climbed the stairs of the old house to the potions lab. Only work would take away his feelings of unease and foreboding.

To his great surprise he found his sanctuary already occupied. Expecting that everyone currently under the roof of Number Twelve were huddled in the basement kitchen, Severus did not know what to think when he saw a slim figure leaning over a desk. Clumps of dark brown, bushy hair had fallen out of the knot Hermione Granger had on the back of her head. The closer Severus got to the young woman, he realized she was not working tirelessly over potions notes as he first believed. Hermione cradled her head in her folded arms on top of the desk.

"Miss Granger?" Severus whispered.

She was sound asleep. There was a great amount of work that needed to be done, but for an unknown reason Severus did not have the heart to wake the sleeping witch. Uninterrupted sleep was a rare find those days. He remembered how worn Miss Granger had looked a week and a half earlier in the hospital ward. No doubt she had not had a decent moment's rest since. No, Severus found himself moving about the room as quietly as he could. She needed her rest.

_Salamander blood, boiled over open flame… remove after twenty minutes of solid boiling. Add a single shredded rat-tail to the mixture._

Hermione, before she fell asleep on the desk, had been working on a strengthening potion … or rather she had been trying to find a way to improve the standard strengthening potion the Order used. Ordinary or standard were not words Miss Granger was entirely comfortable with. She was always looking for ways to improve. That was a quality Severus Snape could respect.

Her notes also seemed to be right in order. The ideas and theories she had about how the ingredients would react were spot on. Perhaps he should not have been so quick to dismiss her theories when she handed him that stack of notated parchment earlier in the year. He would have to remember to search his private papers. It was always a good idea to have another person's opinion or view of a situation.

Severus pulled a small pewter cauldron down from a shelf. He was interested in attempting Hermione's theories. At one point in his experiment he noticed Miss Granger's shaking shoulders. Thinking that she was in the midst of a terrible nightmare, he crossed the room in only a few steps to check on her. As it turned out, she was merely cold. Her Muggle attire was not suited for the damp manor. Severus rarely worked over a cauldron with his outer robes on. Long sleeves and flame were potentially dangerous. He took the discarded robe to cover Hermione's shivering form. Almost instantaneously, she snuggled into the warmth of the proffered garment.

Something unexplainable drew Severus' attention to the sleeping form of Hermione Granger. Several minutes passed before he was aware that he had been staring. She seemed so peaceful sleeping under his robe… and content. Peace and contentment were damn near impossible to find in their world. Severus could not simply turn away from her… a mysterious force kept his attention. It was only when Miss Granger let out a barely audible snore that would no doubt have mortified her if she was aware of the other person in the room, did Severus return to his cauldron. He suddenly became all too aware of what he was willing to fight for. Everyone deserved to sleep in that way every night. Everyone deserved to not fear or worry.

Thirty minutes and a completed potion later, Hermione Granger finally woke up. She was disoriented at first. That was to be expected. Pulling the warm robe around her she looked around the room. She was surprised for a moment to find her potions professor in the same room, but quickly she got over the shock.

"Professor?" She rose from her seat at the desk, the robe still firmly on her shoulders. "Was I sleeping long?"

"Not very long," he lied. "Miss Granger, your thoughts on the strengthening potion were correct."

Most people would be completely unaware that the man had just offered a tremendous compliment to the young woman. Thankfully, Hermione was not one of those people. She tried to hide her blushes, but failed dismally.

"Were they, Professor?"

"Yes, indeed they were. See how much richer the color of the potion is with your theories put into practice?"

They were interrupted at that moment by the door to the potions lab opening.

"Anza was right." Remus Lupin entered the room followed by Mr. Wakefield.

"What was she right about?" Severus asked, feeling a tiny bit annoyed for a reason he was uncertain of.

"We wondered where you had run off to," explained Sean, his eyes shooting back and forth from Severus to Hermione. He had not yet met the young witch and seemed to be interested in who she was. Before he could stop himself, Severus felt a pang of jealousy that the attention that had just been devoted completely to him and his potion were now directed towards the young wizard. For indeed Hermione was eying Sean Wakefield with an equally interested air. "Anza said that you would be here."

"What do you need?" Severus asked, his tone harsher than he anticipated.

"I asked where you were, Severus," Remus explained. "After Anza made her comment that we all knew to be true, Molly asked us to come up here to look for Hermione. She was worried that she had not come down to dinner. We checked the girls' room first… then decided to check in here."

An awkward silence fell between the four. Severus had not intended to be so defensive.

"Molly wants you to have some dinner, Hermione," Remus said to break the silence.

Not another word was spoken as the four filed out of the room. It was only as Hermione reached the bottom of the stairs that she realized she still had Severus' robe.

"Is this yours, sir?" She asked, holding out the garment. He said nothing, only took it out of her hand.

Severus stood at the bottom of the basement stairs for a moment taking in the scene in the kitchen. The room was bright and full of activity, but he did not want to move out of the shadows. His daughter was in the midst of the flurry, looking as comfortable as a fish in water. Despite himself he found he was jealous. Only when he caught sight of Sean Wakefield's over attentiveness of Miss Granger did Severus really have no desire to remain in Number Twelve a moment longer.

* * *

The next day dawned just as bright and warm as the day before. Severus woke to an already risen sun. He had had difficulty sleeping the night before. His mind raced until early in the morning. There was a great deal he wished to accomplish before the day ended. After a quiet breakfast alone in the kitchen, Severus spent a couple of hours in his private potions lab. A little after noon he Apparated into the cheery lane of Diagon Alley.

Diagon Alley was not a place he liked to be for very long. The place had its interesting points to be sure, but Severus always felt on guard when he was there. He could not forget that this was the very place his sister-in-law and children were murdered. Something told him that he would never be able to cross the threshold into Flourish and Blotts again.

"Professor Snape?" He was broken out of his cheerless thoughts by a familiar voice.

"Good afternoon, Gregory."

His daughter's best friend stood in front of his head of house uncomfortably in front of the Apothecary. Gregory Goyle rarely just came right out and said what he was thinking or what he wanted. That was something that had taken Severus three years of teaching to understand. He could see the way that Gregory's entire body language changed when he had something on his mind.

"Is there something wrong, Gregory?" He asked, all at once concerned for the boy, er... young man. No doubt his father had heard all about the incident in the dungeons… when Gregory stood up for himself and his friend. That was not an incident that would go by unnoticed by even a dim wizard like Gary Goyle.

"Could I talk to you privately?" Gregory asked nervously.

"Certainly."

Severus led the young man over to a table outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream parlor. Once they were seated comfortably, Gregory blurted out what was on his mind.

"Sir, you have to stop Anza from being so outspoken." His words ran together, but the professor was able to understand.

"You should know as well as I, Gregory, that Anza cannot help but be outspoken. That is simply how she is."

"You do not understand, sir," he continued fearfully. "She is becoming an even larger target than she already was."

"Target?"

"My father goes on and on about how she will be killed if she does not change her ways soon. They want her to stop being so free with her speech."

The awkward conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a man Severus was only just beginning to know well and another he had only just met. Charlie Weasley and Sean Wakefield sauntered up to the table where Severus was sitting with Mr. Goyle.

"Good afternoon, Severus," Charlie greeted. Sean reached over to shake the professor's hand. After a round of introductions, the two men invited themselves to sit at the same table. Gregory looked around the alley to see if anyone noticed. He was as nervous as a cat to be spotted with a Weasley.

"Fascinating place, really," Sean said, looking around constantly to take in the scenery. "Mum described it of course, but I guess actually being here is a completely different experience."

"Were there not places like this where you live?" Gregory asked.

"Our apothecary was run out of the back room of a rather frightening warlock. There was one grimy pub and one general wizarding needs store. Everything else was ordered by mail catalogue. I have never seen such a large gathering of wizards and witches before."

Severus was also feeling a bit uneasy with Charlie Weasley, at least, sitting at the table. Weasleys were easy to spot. He was uncertain how he was going to explain this meeting if he was spotted by a Death Eater or any of their numerous informants.

"What brings you two out here?" Severus inquired; interested to know why the two men were alone. He assumed that Anza would be with them.

"Little Sparazaqua is like my younger sister," Sean explained. "I wanted to get to know the wizard she was planning on spending the rest of her life with."

Charlie blushed and turned away from the professor at that comment.

"Had to do the big brother duty and make sure he was good enough for her."

"And what have you discovered?" Severus replied.

"I don't know… seems all right now, but still not positive."

It was obvious that Charlie and Sean were getting along just fine. They immediately became friends. Sean was just teasing the dragon tamer. Of course he approved of any relationship he might have with his Anza.

"Hate to be so abrupt," Charlie said, rising from his table. "But I promised to take Sean to his very first Quidditch store."

"Should be a memorable experience," Sean added.

After another round of handshakes and farewells, Sean and Charlie stepped out into the sunny Diagon Alley street. Before Severus even had a chance to say another word to Gregory about their previous conversation, a sight that struck him to the very core took place before his eyes. The moment that the two men entered the sunlight, an explosion rocked the street. Severus' instinct was to run towards them, but to no avail.

A deep crater existed in the street where the young men had been standing only moments before. Onlookers ran to see if there was any help. There were screams up and done the alley as more explosions shook the ground and knocked shoppers down to their feet. Fearing for the safety of Sean and Charlie, both Severus and Gregory ran out in the middle of street. A middle-aged wizard was helping to pull an alert Sean out of the hole. He seemed to be fine minus the cuts on his face.

Severus looked down from the place Sean had just been pulled… he had to exercise his willpower to not make a noise. Charlie Weasley was lying motionless in the bottom of the crater, blood running down his head.

"What are you doing, sir!" Gregory called after his head of house once the man jumped into the crater after the wizard his daughter loved.

He was not certain why he jumped down there to be with the wizard. Something in him told him that he needed to make certain that Charlie was all right. Anza would not forgive him if something happened to the man she loved. Severus reached down to feel for Charlie's pulse… it was there, but it was weak. He began to call orders to get healers there immediately. Wizards on the surface began to run around for help.

Another explosion rocked the spot that had already been blown up. Severus saw massive pieces of rock and stone fall on the unconscious body of Charlie Weasley before… all was black.

* * *

"He will be all right, miss. Just give him some room."

Severus carefully opened his eyes to be greeted with a sight he wished to never see… he was inside St. Mungo's. A frantic Anza hovered around his bed, her face streaming with tears. Sean and Gregory both tried to do what they could to calm her, but nothing seemed to work. Only when she saw her father's eyes open did she stop her frenetic pacing.

"Father! Father!" She threw her arms around him. He carefully sat up in bed to look at his daughter.

"Speranza, what is wrong?"

"You saw him! You must have seen him! They said you were with him when it happened!"

Severus did not understand what his daughter was going on about. He tried to soothe her, but nothing he did worked.

"What are you talking about, Anza?" His voice was quiet, but firm. She stopped her renewed pacing to look at her father.

"You were with Charlie in that last explosion, were you not?"

He struggled to remember the events of the day. Yes, he had just checked to be certain that Charlie was alive when there was another explosion. What the hell happened that day? What were the explosions?

"Yes… I was with him."

"Was he alive?"

"What?"

"Was he still alive!"

"He had a very weak pulse."

She sighed.

"So he was alive when you were with him?"

"What the hell is going on?" Severus demanded of the two men in his room.

Gregory took hold of Anza and held her as she sobbed. Sean carefully moved to the bed. He had already been fixed up by the healers. The young wizard lowered his voice to speak.

"While you were down in the crater with Charlie there was another explosion." His voice was quiet so Anza could not hear. "It was a great deal larger than the first one. There was a lot of smoke… no one could see anything. When someone finally was able to banish the smoke completely we looked down into the crater. You were in there, sir, lying unconscious and bleeding."

"And Mr. Weasley?"

Sean had to choke down a lump in his throat.

"Charlie was nowhere to be found. Aurors searched the entire Alley. They searched the hole thoroughly, but no one found his body."

Anza did not like the sound of that. She jumped out of Gregory's arms and straight at Sean. He was able to shield himself before she hit him. Sean held her until she calmed down.

"He is not dead," she finally said aloud to the room.

"What?" Sean asked, unsure of what she said.

"Charlie is not dead."

"Zaqua… how could he have survived that second blast?"

She looked up at Sean with fury in her eyes.

"I would know if he was dead… and he is not dead!" She turned to her father. "Was Charlie still alive when you saw him, Father?"

"His pulse was very weak…"

"Was he still alive!"

"Yes, he was."

Anza looked at all three wizards in turn.

"Did you see his dead body?" She demanded each of them. They all shook their heads no. "Did anyone see his body?"

Sean put his arm around the distraught woman.

"Anza, I'm sorry, but…" Sean wiped a tear from his own eye. "Charlie is dead… he has to be. No one could have survived what he did. Aurors says rocks crushed him."

"But there was no body!"

"There does not always have to be one…"

Anza looked into Sean's eyes, her tears replaced with anger and determination.

"Until you find his cold, dead body… until someone you trust sees his body, I will not give up hope that he is alive. Charlie would not give up on me. I will not give up on him!"

She struggled to get out of Sean's embrace and ran out of the hospital ward. All three wizards were familiar enough with her outbursts and feelings to know better than to follow after her.

"Sir," Gregory began. "We saw what happened. There is no way he could have survived."

Deep down Severus hoped that what he heard was refutable, but he also felt certain that they were right. Charlie Weasley was dead. Knowing that the professor needed his rest, Sean and Gregory exited the room. Before he was aware, Severus fell into a frightening sleep with images of explosions… Charlie Weasley lying dead on the ground… Anza weeping over his body before being pulled away by Antonin Dolohov… Lucius smirking… and most disturbing of all… Marina laughing.

* * *

Severus was in St. Mungo's for only a couple of days. His injuries were not serious. Every day of his confinement his younger brother came to visit… but Anza never returned. She did not even come to the hospital when her father was being released. He was not sure if she was angry with him or still in shock over the news of Charlie. Remus Lupin sent him an owl early on to inform him that Anza was staying at the Headquarters. Severus was glad to hear that. She would be closer to Sean and Hermione… and the poor Weasley family.

After he said his goodbyes to his brother, Severus Apparated to Number Twelve. Once inside he found that the entire aura of the house had changed since the last time he was in it. On the night of Sean's arrival the manor felt warm and convivial… now as he stood in the foyer he found himself chilled. There was no laughter. There were no conversations ringing through the halls. It was all but deathly silent.

"The Weasley family returned to the Burrow yesterday," Hermione Granger explained in a hushed voice once he entered the home. She had been waiting in the Entrance hall.

"How are they?" Severus was genuinely concerned about that family. They had lost one of their own. He wondered how Molly was doing.

"As well as can be expected… considering."

Neither of them quite knew what to spoke after that. They would look in the other's direction but quickly look away.

"And Anza?"

"She is doing a little better," Hermione replied with a tiny half-smile. "Gwendolyn put her to bed with a strong sleeping draught."

"Gwendolyn?"

"Oh… yes, Ms. Wakefield arrived last night. After Remus explained to her what happened she knew she could not stay away any longer. She knew that Anza needed her."

"Where is Ms. Wakefield now?"

"In the drawing room."

Severus did not even thank Miss Granger for the information she provided him. He rushed up the stairs to the room in question. Finally his questions would be answered. He was tired of being met with only more suspicions and inquiries.

There was the unmistakable sound of movement within the drawing room. Severus carefully opened the door. Across the room staring out a window was a woman… a very familiar woman. She was not very tall, only a few inches taller than five feet. Her russet waves fell out of the loose knot at the back of her head.

"Ursula?" He found himself saying aloud.

"Ursula Albrecht is dead, Severus," the woman said. "She has been dead for a very long time."

The figure turned around from the window to face him. Even at the distance he was from her, Severus could see her deep blue eyes. He was looking into the face of his long lost Ursula.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Humanity74 who is entirely too perceptive:)  
_


	29. Chapter TwentyEight

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Ursula?" Severus said aloud though he could not believe his eyes. "What… how… Ursula?"

The woman looked at him solemnly, sorrow etched over the elegant features of her face.

"I am afraid Ursula died many years ago," she repeated. "Allow me to introduce myself…"

She crossed the room and took Severus' hand delicately in hers. As she shook his hand, tears began to spill out of her eyes.

"…Gwendolyn Wakefield."

Shock was not a strong enough word to describe what the wizard felt at that moment. Ursula was alive? Over the years he had not even allowed himself to dream the possibility that she had not actually died. Even when he discovered his own daughter had not died when she was a child, he could not bring himself to imagine Ursula's return. Two miracles rarely happened to the same person.

Her deep blue eyes were completely washed in tears. Her body began to tremble slightly. Feeling almost as if he had jumped back close to twenty years in time, Severus put his arm around the woman. At the contact the sobs she had worked to conceal so strenuously broke out of her. Severus felt himself at a loss as he held the woman he still loved… her sobs were loud and gut wrenching. He did not know what to do for her.

"I knew it would only feel real after I saw you," Ursula… _Gwen_ said quietly after she sobbed for several moments. She broke contact with Severus. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief as she deposited herself on the sofa. "Nothing felt real from the moment I stepped foot in this country. It was as if I were in the middle of a dream… floating from moment to moment, living another's life."

Severus, still unbelievably shaken by her appearance, forced his legs to carry him to an empty armchair. Though for the first time in many, many years he was only a few feet from his first love, he never felt further away from her. The end of their relationship that summer did not break the connection they had forged. Even Ursula's death had not changed how he felt about the woman. He never felt, even when he believed her to be dead, that she was far from him. She always had a place in his heart. Now… now that she was indeed alive and so altered, he did not know if he would ever feel the way he once did.

The two strangers, who had once been very much in love, took turns looking at the other before turning their gaze to the floor. Ursula Albrecht had changed immensely. Certainly Severus Snape had changed as well. There had always been an air of innocence around the woman… a naivety despite her intelligence and wisdom. That aura was gone. She had gone through immeasurable torment and fear… that innocence was replaced with a hardness, almost a deep bitterness. She was as lovely as the last day Severus saw her… the night before she left him forever. Her physical beauty had only increased with her age. She was one of those women who only got more beautiful as they grew older. He did not know this woman… and he was certain he never would know her as he once had.

"Ursula…" he began, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Please, Severus," she said. "Call me Gwendolyn or Gwen… but not Ursula, never Ursula. She does not exist anymore."

"All right, _Gwendolyn_," he spat, suddenly angry with himself for being so terse. "What… I do not even know what question to ask first. There are a thousand and more every moment I look at you."

She was no longer crying, but Gwendolyn kept dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief. It was a habit that Severus remembered only too well. When she was uncertain what to do with her hands, she found ways to keep them occupied. Fiddling with her handkerchief has always been her preferred method.

"Start with the most obvious." She could not look him in the eye as she spoke. There were too many emotions and fears and a hundred other feelings going through her at once.

"You are alive… how?"

"Sometimes, especially in the world of magic, things are not always what they seem."

He had heard those very words spoken before. Severus thought of the night when he finally allowed himself to believe that Anza was alive. That was the night that Hermione Granger entered the privacy of his dungeons to show him how foolish he was being to try to deny his daughter. Over and over he protested that his daughter was dead, but Hermione would not let him stop the discussion at that. She showed maturity and wisdom way beyond her age. Miss Granger had been the force that finally allowed him to believe the impossible.

"You were murdered in Madeira."

"That is the place that Ursula Albrecht finally died," Gwen admitted. "But that is not where I was murdered."

"Please stop speaking in riddles!" Severus surprised himself by raising his voice. "You are Ursula… we both are more than aware of that. If you have any respect for me at all, you will stop speaking in code and tell me exactly what happened!"

Gwen took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. It was apparent just by the look on her face that she did not know where to begin her tale. So much happened years earlier. How would she ever be able to explain any of it in detail?

"I knew that You Know Who's followers would never stop searching for me," she began. "They would chase me down forever if the need was there. I could have run forever… but at that time I had more than just myself to think about."

Severus of course knew that she was talking about Sean. The young man opened up an entirely different area filled with thousands of different questions. There was a great deal that he wished to know about the young wizard. Naturally he had a sneaking suspicion of who Sean's father was… but he was not certain he could handle that information if freely given.

"With the help of a woman I befriended in Madeira, I was able to hide from Lucius Malfoy and his ruffians. I knew I had to do something drastic or I would spend my life hiding. Sean deserved more than a life spent like that. The plan was complex and it almost failed a hundred different times, but I was able to finally convince Malfoy that I was dead."

"How?"

She smiled weakly at the question.

"Do you remember when we learned to brew Befuddlement potions in our seventh year?"

"Yes, as I recall yours was so powerful that Cordelia had trouble remembering her name or where the Slytherin common room was for a week."

Gwen smiled a little stronger at that memory.

"One of the people helping me in my plan slipped a potion in their drinks one night while they were dining in a local café. Malfoy and his thugs did not even know what hit them. They wandered about the island for days without any idea of where they were or what they were supposed to be doing. A friend produced a quite powerful memory modification charm for them and yet another friend was able to put a false newspaper article into the _Daily Prophet_. I trusted that Lucius Malfoy would never willingly admit that he could not remember what happened or how he accomplished a task." She chuckled at the thought. "He has too much pride for that. I knew he would simply take the credit for the incident that looked genuine enough."

"That was a risky plan… it might have failed."

"Of course it almost failed. Perhaps now, given that I have had close to eighteen years to reconsider my actions I would have done it all differently. At the time that was the plan that worked."

An awkward silence fell between them. It was different than the silences that used to plague the two when they were teenagers. Before they hardly knew what to say to the other… they were too shy and timid to be comfortable around the other. Now there were a thousand things that needed to be said and neither of them quite knew where to begin.

"When you left…" Severus started, but found it hard to continue. He took a deep breath. "When you left that night after I found you at the Ministry… where did you go? What happened?"

Gwen dropped her eyes to the floor.

"I often think of that night. After we… well, you know," She blushed at the memory of the night in the abandoned warehouse when they were intimate.

It was a night that Severus often recalled. Though he certainly was not about to explain to his granddaughter what his thoughts and feelings were about the event he conveniently skipped over when they were in those particular memories, the elderly wizard remembered how embarrassed he was that night. They had been together once before… the night of the infamous mead incident. That night they were both so innocent and naïve… neither of them quite knew what to do, but it was special. They were sharing an intimate moment for the first time together. The second time they were together, that night in the warehouse, was decidedly different. Severus was the same, but Ursula was quite altered. He was embarrassed when he realized that she had been with another more experienced than he. Though that night was special as well, he could not stop thinking that Ursula was probably comparing him to Rabastan Lestrange.

His thoughts strayed to a place he did not wish to revisit. The Severus living within the pensieve's memories tried to shake those thoughts out of his head. He turned to look at Gwen as she continued her story.

"I saw you laying there next to me asleep and I knew… I knew that you would do anything it took to help me, to keep me safe."

"Of course I would have."

"That was the very reason why I left."

It was all too apparent that Severus did not understand what she meant. If she knew that he was willing to do anything and everything he could to ensure her safety and her survival, why would she choose to leave? And why would she claim that his willingness to protect her was the reason she left?

"You left because you did not want me to protect you?" He could not understand what she meant by those words. Despite himself he felt hurt that she would rather run from him than accept any help.

"We were both so young, Severus," she replied. "And you had already lost so much in your life. I could not ask you to give up your freedom and quite possibly your life for me. It was too much to ask."

"I would have done it," he muttered to himself, but she heard.

"That is why I left."

There were a million questions plaguing the two of them. Both of them wanted to know what the last eighteen years held for the other. Neither of them knew what to say to continue the discussion. They might have sat there for hours longer if they had not been interrupted.

"Mum, Anza just woke up," Sean announced before he even saw the man sitting across from his mother. "Oh, Professor Snape, I'm sorry. I did not know you were in here."

"How is she?" Gwen asked, her concern for Anza apparent on her face.

"I should have just kept my mouth shut," Sean sighed. "She and I fought again… I don't know what to do with her. I cannot say the right thing."

"Excuse me, Severus."

Gwen sped out of the room leaving the two men to stare at each other awkwardly. From the moment Severus opened the door to he drawing room to see Ursula, or rather Gwen now, standing at the window, one question had been bothering him the most. As long as Sean was not in the room, he was able to push it out of his mind. Now that he was looking right in the face of the young man, he could not stop wondering if he… if he was his father. Remus said that Gwen did not know she was pregnant until after she was out of the country. Severus was the person she was with right before she left. Could Sean actually be his son?

Severus used the uncomfortable silence to study the young man. Sean simply looked around the rooms as if the wood paneling was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. There was something quite familiar about Sean to Severus. He had his mother's eyes. That was something Severus noticed the night they met…before he even had a clue who Gwendolyn Wakefield actually was. Though Severus did not know Ursula's family well at all… the two ended their relationship so soon and then the Albrechts were murdered… he could see a great deal of Minister Albrecht in the young wizard. Nothing about him positively screamed 'Snape', but even Severus' own brother Sidonius did not look the least bit like a Snape. He took after the Benoits. Sean obviously took after the Albrechts.

The older wizard also thought on all that he had heard about the younger man. Had Remus not boasted continuously of his potions skills? That could be a talent that he inherited from his father… but his mother was also quite gifted in that area. As students Ursula had always given Severus a run for his money in that subject… and she taught potions at the school in Belgium. His own daughter had studied under her. How many cauldrons had she melted under Gwen's tutelage? It was also very possible that Sean Wakefield simply inherited his mother's intelligence. His father might have had nothing to so with it.

And Severus also thought of the relationship that Sean had with his daughter. Once when he asked quite innocently whether there had been any kind of relationship between the two of them beyond friendship, Anza laughed and made a comment stating she might be sick after hearing the suggestion. They were exceptionally close friends. Sean obviously thought of Anza as his younger sister. Did he instinctively know that Anza was indeed part of his blood? Even if he did not know consciously, was his subconscious telling him that Speranza Velousova Snape was his long lost sister? And what of Gwen? She mentioned that Anza was the only sibling that Sean had ever had. Did she mean that literally or figuratively? Every moment that passed yet another question popped into Severus' mind.

"Did you know my mother at Hogwarts?" Sean finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, we were at school together at the same time." It seemed a safe answer. It kept away from any embarrassing inquiries that might arise.

"You knew her as Ursula then, didn't you?"

Severus had always assumed, well, in those last thirty minutes at least, that Gwen would not have shared that kind of information with her son. Why? He was not sure himself, but he did not expect the question Sean asked.

"How do you know about that?" He could not help but ask.

"She told me a year and a half ago when she figured out that Anza was your daughter."

"Oh."

"Naturally that brought up a lot of questions I had for my mother," Sean replied, a tiny hint of bitterness in his voice. "My entire life she skirted around questions I asked her about her family or why she left home. She was never willing to answer them before. The day that Anza came over to tell us her uncle died Mum was in a mood I had never seen."

"What kind of mood?"

"My entire life she has gone through these phases. Extreme mood changes. One moment she would be extremely happy, silly acting even. Then for no reason at all she would be so low and unhappy that she could not get out of bed. It was usually only when Remus was around that her mood was ever normal… that she seemed herself." Sean explained this in a hushed voice as if there might be someone else in the room to hear his words. "When Anza left that day, Mum was … well, I guess you might call it wistful. We sat in silence for fifteen minutes after Anza was gone before Mum finally said, 'That is Severus' daughter. I would bet my life on it.'

"Of course I asked who Severus was. I had never heard the name before. Mum rarely talked about her past, even when Remus was around. I thought they might discuss their school days together, but they hardly ever did. Any time I would start to ask what they were like at Hogwarts one of them would change the subject. It was frustrating."

"How did your mother know that Anza was my daughter?" No one had explained this part of the entire tale to him before.

"I don't know to be honest. She just got all sad and mentioned your name. When I asked who you were… the entire story fell from her before she even had a chance to stop. She told me her old name… about her family being murdered… about you… about your relationship… about why she had to leave. That's why I was so nervous and anxious when I knew I was going to meet you."

"Why were you nervous?"

Sean looked away from the potions master. He put his hands in the pockets of his trousers under his robe and sighed.

"You are my father, are you not?" He asked bluntly.

"I… I do not know," Severus responded truthfully.

"How could you not be? Mum said you were the only other man she loved before Remus. If you are not my father, who else could it be?"

One other possibility came to mind, but he did not think it possible. The man himself claimed he was not Sean's father. But was he telling the complete truth? Could he have been lying to protect yet another of Gwendolyn's seemingly endless supply of lies? They sure seemed like father and son to the casual observer.

"Are you certain that Remus is not your father?"

Sean sighed a long, dramatic sigh comparable to Anza's.

"No, Remus is not my father. That would have made life entirely too simple."

"Simple?"

"Yeah, simple. I have loved Remus as my father my entire life. He has always been there in the important moments. He took me to my first Quidditch game, explaining me play-by-play what was happening the entire time. Then he was the one who taught me to ride a broomstick. He was the one to take me to buy my first wand and walk me to school on my first day even though my mother was a teacher and headed the same way.

"Remus gave me all of the talks that young boys needed to be 'good, strong men'. He was there to give me advice right before the first time I ever took Edana Cullen on a date. He was there for all of those moments. He is my father in every way that matters but one… we do not share the same blood."

"How do you know that he is not your father? Anza said that you believed he was."

"For many years I did… and even when Mum finally let me know accidentally that I was not a Lupin, I never told Anza. I wanted to live in that fantasy. I wanted to imagine that at any moment Remus and Mum would finally get married and we would be a real family. That is all any kid really wants… a happy family with two loving parents."

Yes, indeed it was. Severus often dreamed of that very thing as a child.

"So… are you my father?" Sean asked again despite Severus' earlier insistence that he did not know.

Before the man had a chance to repeat his earlier answer, the door to the room opened to admit Gwen. She had a frazzled look on her face. Seeing the two men in an obviously serious discussion did not help either.

"Anza has calmed down a bit," she announced to the concerned men in the room. "Sean, love, why don't you go downstairs and brew her some tea?"

"Yes, Mum."

He crossed the room to the open door in a rush.

"Do not say anything to upset her either."

"I will try, Mum, but you know Anza."

Gwen smiled weakly at her son before he left the room completely. She closed the door behind him and resumed her prior seat on the sofa. It was apparent that she was not done speaking with her former love. For that Severus was grateful. There was still a great deal more to discuss.

"How is Anza?" he asked the moment she was seated.

"Still quite shaken, I am afraid." Gwen closed her eyes and exhaled a deep breath. "What she must be going through… I do not want to imagine."

Another silence fell between them, but Severus quickly ended it.

"Who is Sean's father?" he blurted out.

"I would have assumed that you of all people would have already figured it out."

She was not content to remain on the sofa any longer. The large window looking out over the back garden beckoned to her. She crossed to it silently. Gwen could not look at the man she had once loved and hoped to marry in the eyes.

"I see his father in him every time I look at him," she announced quietly.

What she must see in Sean Severus did not know. He could not see anything that remotely resembled one of the men who could be his father. Sean certainly did not look like him. Maybe he missed something. Maybe Gwen could see something he could not.

"I thought I was in love with his father at one time. I thought that he was in love with me too. How foolish and naïve I was. Now I can see that."

"Ursula… is Sean… _my_ son?"

Gwen turned from the window, her eyes full of tears and her face suddenly full of fury.

"I did not _think_ I was in love with you!" She spat. "I was! For years I was in love with you… since the first day on the bloody Hogwarts Express!"

"Then why did you say that you thought you were in love with his father at one time?"

Realization dawned on her face. Suddenly her features became softer, the fury was absent, but the tears remained. In fact, the tears rained harder. She moved closer to him. For the first time in their reunion she touched him tenderly. She put her small, delicate hand on his cheek and looked him in the eyes.

"I would have _never_ kept you away from your son, Severus," she replied. "That would have been a cruel thing to do… especially to you."

"Sean is not my son?"

Her hand dropped from his face as her eyes dropped to the floor.

"Life would have been at least a little easier if Sean had been yours," she said sadly. "Through the years I have tried to imagine that he was yours… or Remus', but the fantasy only lasts for a few moments."

"Sean is not my son?" He was repeating himself, but he needed reassurance.

"If Sean was your son I would have come back to Britain… damn the consequences of what happened to me. The moment everything died down, the moment He Who Must Not Be Named tried to kill Harry Potter, I would have been back here. I would have taken your son to your home. Never, _never_ would I have kept you from your offspring."

Gwen was passionate in her answer. Severus had no doubt that she was being completely serious. So Sean was not his son. If he was not Severus' and he was not Remus', who was his father? Almost the moment he asked himself the question he answered it.

"Rabastan." He did not even have a chance to censor himself before saying his name.

"I think I knew I was pregnant before I left the country… before you even took me out of the Ministry."

"You _think_ you knew?"

"Something was different about me, I could tell. It was only a couple of weeks after Remus helped me escape to Lisbon that I knew for certain," Gwen explained. "Remember how I was really tired that day? You assumed that Rabastan put some sort of draining potion in my drink at lunch? He didn't… I know because later that same day I was still able to perform magic. I was tired, but it had nothing to do with the potion."

So Rabastan Lestrange was Sean's father. Now everything made sense to Severus. Of course Ursula… Gwen would not have returned if she knew to be carrying a Lestrange baby. Even after the fall of the Dark Lord she would not have felt safe to return. Rabastan Lestrange, as Severus understood, did indeed have strong feelings for Ursula Albrecht, but they were much like the feelings that Antonin Dolohov had for Anza. She was simply an obsession to him. If his brother or his sister-in-law did not kill Ursula the moment she stepped onto British soil, Severus felt certain that she would have been immediately married off to Lestrange, forced to spend a lifetime in his manor raising his son.

"Sean is Rabastan's son?" Again he needed confirmation, some reassurance to the facts.

"Yes, I am afraid so." She could not look at Severus after those words left her mouth. It was all too apparent that she was ashamed of the actions of her past. "Every time I look at Sean's face I see his father. It is a hard potion to take every day… but I could not love my son any more if he was your son or if he was Remus'."

"Remus was the 'friend' you spoke of in the note you left for me that morning?"

"Remus and I were friends at Hogwarts. Did you know that?"

It was complete news to Severus. Not once in their years did he ever notice their friendship. She certainly never mentioned it. Looking back he was able to see that most likely Ursula thought the knowledge of her being friends with one of the Gryffindors he hated most would not have been good for their relationship.

"We took Muggle Studies and Ancient Runes together," she explicated. "After Hogwarts we saw each other in Diagon Alley one afternoon. He told me honestly that he did not like hearing I was seeing a Lestrange. Naturally we had a huge fight when he told me that. I explained to him that he had no right to tell me whom I could or could not see. We did not speak for months afterward.

"As if he knew something that might happen, only a couple of days before my family was attacked he sent me a simple note. 'If you ever need me, I will be there for you.' That was all. I knew, laying in that warehouse that night watching you sleep that I needed his help."

"So you chose to take his help and not mine!" Severus was incensed at that information.

"I did not wish to burden you."

"Ursula, you were never a burden to me! You could not have been a burden to me! I risked my life for you that day I took you out of the Ministry. Could you not see then that I would have done anything for you?"

She was silent.

"Ursula…"

"Gwen!"

He wanted to tell her that he had been in love with her for most of his life… that her death had not even changed that fact. He wanted to tell her that all of those years ago he would have given up everything to be with her. He wanted to tell her that it did not matter if Sean was Rabastan's son… he would have raised him as his own if she had simply given him the chance. He wanted to tell her that the only wish he had had for years was to simply see her again. There were a hundred things he wanted to tell her, but none of them escaped from his mouth.

"Gwen… I would have helped you. I loved you and would have done everything in my power to help you, to keep you safe. While I wish you would have asked for my help, allowed me to keep you safe, I will not ruin what should be a joyous reunion simply to make you feel guilty about actions in your past that you cannot change."

"Thank you, Severus."

"So what happened that night? I have often wondered."

"A little after midnight I found an owl in the street. I tied a short note to it to send to Remus. Basically it said that I needed his help and for him to meet me just outside the city. I wrote your note, feeling certain that Remus would be waiting for me when I arrived. The moment I Apparated to the place I asked Remus to meet me he was already waiting for me. I told him what little I knew about the attacks that were planned. Immediately we headed towards Portugal."

"On broomsticks? Portkey? Floo?"

"None of those actually," she replied with a tiny grin. "Remus was smart to consider that all magical means of transportation were probably being watched. He suggested we take a Muggle train and then a boat. Not once did we have any trouble. He strayed with me in Lisbon for a few days. His cousin lived there… a wonderful woman. When he had to go back to Britain because of the full moon, she helped me. I was there for a few weeks until I settled in Madeira.

"For a while I thought I was safe there. Sean was born in June. We had a tiny cottage not far from the shore. Life was peaceful there. An elderly woman lived next door. She was fantastic. When Lucius Malfoy randomly showed up in our area, she hid my son and helped me in my plan. Her own son, one of only a few wizards near us, helped me as well. After the world believed I was dead, Sean and I lived in our old cottage for a while longer. Lucius Malfoy returned a few months later. He wanted to know exactly what happened. The answers he received from the real Gwendolyn Wakefield, our next door neighbor, were not good enough for him. He murdered her in cold blood… horrible man."

She shuddered at the thought of Lucius Malfoy and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief at the thought of the genuine Gwendolyn Wakefield.

"Remus discovered the settlement in Belgium. Though he did not like the sound of it, I relocated there with Sean. That was where I first started using Gwen's name. I did not think she would mind. Little Sean and I made a home there with Remus as our frequent guest. He took responsibility for Sean, especially after I told him whom his father was. He is an amazing father… especially considering he does not even have to be one."

"Why did you not return after the fall of the Dark Lord? Surely you did not believe you were still in danger then. Most of the serious zealots were already dead or in Azkaban then."

"Believe me, Remus tried to get me to return too. Poor man. He had lost so much and wanted me to come back. Four of his very close friends were dead or in prison, all in the span of a few hours. By this time I was already allowing myself to love him."

She felt awkward admitting her feelings about Remus to the man she loved before him. While Severus was mourning her death and pining away for her, she was in the arms of another, feeling love once more. Gwen felt especially guilty after hearing about the pain that his then-wife put him through followed by his painful and embarrassing divorce. And worst of all… the loss of the only person important to him. Through all of this she might have been in hiding, she might have been using an assumed name, but she had her beautiful son to keep her company… and she had the love of one of the most amazing men she had ever known. It had taken her a long time to finally open up to Remus, but once she did, she knew it was right. All of this while Severus was living a solitary, miserable existence.

"Why did you not return? For him?"

"Merlin, Severus, I was still scared! Some of You Know Who's agents were still out there… no doubt intent on following orders that they had not fulfilled."

"Why did you not return after the Lestranges were sent to prison?"

"I did consider returning. Remus almost had me convinced… but I was still scared."

"Of what?"

"Cordelia."

That was yet another shock to Severus that day. During and right after Hogwarts the two girls had been close friends. Gwen had even dated her elder brother. Why was she so terrified of the girl she had been so close to that she would not return?

"Cordelia? Why?"

"Because I knew she would take one look at Sean and know he was Rabastan's child. I knew I could not live a life constantly under the Lestranges' thumbs. It would be too much. Sean deserved better than to live in a world with those influences. He was better off living in Belgium."

"All through this time you were with Remus?" It was a question that had bothered him from the moment he opened the door to the room… one of the two biggest questions he had. He wanted to know if she was really in love with Remus as she claimed. Though he tried to prevent them, Severus could feel old emotions and feelings well up inside of him each time he looked at her face. No matter what she was calling herself those days, she was still his Ursula. She was still the only woman he had ever truly loved.

"Yes, he never left us. Even when he returned to Britain from time to time he was only an owl away. If Sean or I ever needed him he was there as soon as he was able. We could count on him for anything."

"Do… are you in love with him?"

"Yes, very much so." She turned her eyes once more away from Severus. The entire situation was awkward and his line of questioning was only making it worse.

"Why did you two never get married?"

Gwen laughed at that comment. It did Severus' heart good to see her face light up. From the moment he entered the room she had been melancholy and entirely too serious. This was not the woman he knew years earlier. Her life experiences had changed her irrevocably. Seeing her laugh, made Severus almost forget all of the time that had passed between them.

"Not for lack of Remus' trying," she answered, still smiling at the thought. "He must have asked me a hundred times."

"Why have you not said yes? If you love him so much?" He did not intend for his words to sound antagonistic, but unfortunately that was exactly the way they came out of his mouth. To Gwen's great credit she remembered Severus' own style of speech very well. It was obvious that she did not take offense at his speech.

"I am not entirely sure, to be honest. I guess I always found excuses to say no. Not that I would ever want to end my relationship with him… on the contrary I want to be with him forever, but marriage? One day I know I will be ready. I just pray that Remus is still there when I am."

Almost as if on cue, the door to the drawing room opened once more. Remus Lupin appeared looking uncomfortable and even a bit suspicious. Gwen had long ago resumed her seat on the sofa, but it was obvious from an outsider's glance that Gwen and Severus had been sharing a quite intimate conversation. Hating his jealousy, Remus tried to shake it off before he sat next to his beloved on the sofa. He put his arm around her possessively.

"Did you tell him everything?" Remus asked Gwen, almost as if Severus were not in the same room as they.

"Yes… I told him everything important."

"Good."

Then Remus looked in Severus' direction.

"Are there any questions you have for me, Severus?"

Everyone seated in that room knew that Remus was waiting for Severus to make a comment about how Gwen should still be his. Remus' fear in the entire situation had been that Ursula, now Gwen, would remember her old feelings for her Hogwarts sweetheart and rekindle her old relationship. He should have been more secure, but circumstances in his life left the werewolf an insecure man.

"No, Gwendolyn has answered any questions I had," Severus replied as he rose from his chair. "If you will excuse me, I have some work to do. A hospital stay does not make the work go away."

He crossed the room after a courteous bow to the couple. Once he was standing at the door Severus could not help but look back on the scene. There was the woman he had always loved, still loved to that day. She was 'back from the dead' so to speak and sitting only feet from him. There was also one of the men that had made his school years hell. Though feelings had changed between the men, especially when Severus decided to move on from the past and Remus worked to reunite him with his lost daughter, Severus could not help but feel a pang of jealousy.

He knew without a single doubt in his mind that he had lost Ursula forever. Ursula Albrecht was indeed dead. She died many years earlier, taking any future he might have had with the woman with her. As he looked at the couple speaking in hushed tones, Remus kissing her forehead every few moments to comfort her, Severus knew he had lost her forever. If she had returned even a year earlier, Severus would not have been willing to let her go. Now… now he saw how happy and in love she was, and he wanted to do nothing to disturb that. Gwendolyn deserved a little happiness after what life had thrown her way.

Severus quietly shut the door behind him.


	30. Chapter TwentyNine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The click of the door shutting behind him was deafening. It was not a simple door closing itself after one left the room. The closing of that door was symbolic of the end of an opportunity for Severus. For a great number of years he dreamed of what life would be like with that remarkable woman. As a young teenager in love Severus had fanciful dreams of the day they were married. He imagined them living in a small, but cozy cottage somewhere near the sea. There were children in his fantasies, though he never allowed himself to believe that one day he might actually be a father.

Now that he was a man and the woman he loved in his youth was back, as alive and beautiful as the day they shared their first kiss in the privacy of the secret greenhouse courtyard, he knew he had to let her go. A part of him had never relinquished her hold on his heart. Every woman he met he compared to Ursula Albrecht… naturally, they all fell short of her.

He exhaled a deep breath he had not even realized he was holding when the door shut. Ursula's return was exactly the thing that he had prayed for… especially in the first few months after her supposed death. He imagined that if he ever had the opportunity to see her again he would be able to pick their relationship up from where it was left years earlier. How naïve he was. How lonely and sad he had been.

She did not look at him in the same manner she had when they were teenagers. Her face was much different, but very little about it physically changed. When they were younger he would walk into a room, come into her line of sight and she would reserve a warm smile only for him. Even after several months of seeing one another, he would still feel butterflies fluttering in his stomach when he caught sight of her across a room. He used to get so frustrated fearing that there would never come a time when he would be able to be in her presence and not feel like he was going to do something foolish or be sick.

And now he had finally felt exactly the way he used to wish he could. He was shocked to see Ursula reincarnated as Gwendolyn Wakefield… but the feelings he experienced once the shock had died down were nothing like the feelings he used to experience in her presence. They were two completely different people. The events of their lives carved them into completely different people from those shy, naïve teenagers hiding in courtyards to steal clandestine kisses. They both went through dark, dark times and somehow managed to live through them. Severus found he could no longer pretend that they were the same people.

The way she looked at Remus when he entered the room was a look Severus felt certain he would never be able to forget. It was almost the way she used to look at him, but it was different… there was more intensity. Their love had been special, had been very real, but it was over. Gwen moved on to find love again. It was apparent to anyone with two eyes how much they loved each other. Severus would be cruel to try to step in between them. He had to move on. He was used to loneliness… he could get used to it again.

"No, Dzou Yen was a famous Chinese alchemist in the _fourth_ century. Not the eleventh," Hermione Granger explained.

Severus, hoping to get some privacy in the potions lab, found that it was currently occupied by the Gryffindor Know-it-All and Rabastan Lestrange's bastard son. Ooh, he was in a mood. Remembering that he had to actually associate with these people and neither one of them had indeed done anything wrong or upsetting to him, Severus tried to shake off his bitter and angry feelings. He was quite surprised to find that while his feelings softened for Hermione, he was having a hard time feeling anything but aggravation for Sean Wakefield.

"Was he the one who invented the flame that burns forever?" Sean asked, leaning in closer than he already was to the young witch. Severus felt his blood pressure rise for a reason he was not entirely certain of.

"No," Hermione laughed. "That was Parcelsus. Honestly, what kind of education did you receive at that school?"

"Yeah, I blame the school as well. Just look at the Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I had. It is all her fault."

Hermione was the first to notice the brooding figure of Professor Snape lurking in the doorway. She had been so busy enjoying her conversation with Sean that she had thought very little of anything else. Now that Severus was standing only a few feet away from her, she seemed to return to reality.

"Professor… forgive us." She stood up from the stool she had been seated on. "Sean and I were discussing the properties of Oglethorpe's wit sharpening potion."

Severus crossed the room to the supply cupboard in a huff. His black robes billowed behind him in an imposing manner. It was a scare tactic he had often employed around particularly loathsome students.

"I do not care what you were discussing with Mr. Wakefield, Miss Granger," he retorted painfully. "This is a laboratory where real work needs to be done. If you wish to flirt, kindly leave the room and apparate to the nearest pub!"

Hermione glared at him. Sean turned a shade of bright red before excusing himself from the room. He was still not ready to be in the presence of a man he thought might be his father. Hermione was not the least bit intimidated by the man. She had known his temper and cruelty for six, long years… and she was not going to sit and simply take his moods outside of the classroom. The holidays were her own.

"Did you have to scare him away like that?" she demanded, not bothering to speak in a soft tone.

"Do I have to remind you that this is a serious place where work needs to be done?" He spat the words at her before turning his back completely from her.

"Gods, do you always have to answer a question with another bloody question!"

Something about Severus was getting on Hermione's nerves that day. She could not pinpoint what it was and it was frustrating. Severus merely found her reaction to him amusing. He did seem to get pleasure out of seeing her lose her temper.

"He is in a new country," she reminded him harshly. "No doubt all of these experiences are taking its toll on him. He was with Charlie when he was… _killed_. Sean knows it could have just as easily been him. Have a little compassion."

Severus moved to tower over the petite young woman. His stature should have been frightening to her, but she simply stood up to her tallest five foot three inches. Her glaring eyes never left his.

"Every day we survive is yet another day we have to face the realization that we could die at any moment," he said in a serious, low voice. "Remember that, Hermione… Miss Granger… even in a world without wars death is inevitable."

"Do me a favor," Hermione said sternly.

"What?" He was not sure he would actually do anything she asked, but he wanted to know what she was asking before he refused.

"Do not speak to your daughter until you have had a chance to calm down. She does not need that right now."

With those words of warning, Hermione disappeared from the room. Cursing under his breath, Severus began work on one of the dozens of potions he needed to brew.

* * *

Severus found himself walking through a long, dark tunnel. It was a common dream for anyone wishing that life held better things in store in the future… only Severus' tunnel did not have a light at the end. He walked and walked assuming that eventually there would be an opening… another world at the end of the tunnel. Everything was so cold as well. He was in a freezing, dark tunnel with seemingly nothing ahead of him. There was a noise up ahead of him. He hastened his pace to see what it was. In the dark he could not see a thing. His body began to shiver because of the cold. All at once he felt something being placed on his shoulders and warmth began to spread through him. He continued his walk. The soft sound a woman humming filled the tunnel. Severus began to run into the darkness at full speed. The humming grew louder and louder then… CRASH!

"Damn it!"

Severus jerked awake at the sound. He was still seated at the desk in the potions laboratory, a warm blanket placed around his shoulders. Feeling the presence of another in the room, he turned to find Hermione crouched on the ground picking up pieces of sliced caterpillars.

"Miss Granger?"

"I am very sorry, Professor," she said quickly, crimson rising on her cheeks. "I did not mean to disturb your sleep."

He rose from the seat he had been sleeping in to lower himself to help with the retrieval of the potions ingredient.

"What time is it?" he asked, repairing the broken jar with a quick spell.

"A little after seven in the morning," she answered. "You have been sleeping for a few hours."

"I did not realize." He stood up to his full height to place the fixed jar on a counter.

"You seemed very tired. I did not want to wake you." Hermione could not look at her professor in the eye when she said those words. "A good night's rest is hard to come by these days, though I can hardly imagine sleeping in that chair was very comfortable."

She was right of course. Severus could feel a painful crick in his neck from sleeping seated in a chair. Through the years he had often fallen asleep in a chair in his office or laboratory. As of then he had not yet learned how to do it comfortably. He rubbed at his neck, feeling the tense muscles.

"What are you working on?" He asked the young woman in a disinterested tone, despite the fact that he was more than just a little interested in what she was doing. It felt strange to wake up after a strange dream to find Hermione Granger standing only a few feet from him. Remembering the blanket that had been placed around him, Severus was certain that she had shown the same courtesy and kindness he showed to her when she was sleeping on the desk. Despite himself he found that he was grateful that they did not always have to resort to such childish exchanges in the other's presence. Keeping up the formidable potions master façade was taxing to say the least.

"Nothing very interesting," she responded, rising from the floor with a handful of caterpillar pieces. "Mrs. Weasley needed some cleaning solution. She would have brewed it herself, but she has a lot on her mind now… with Charlie and all. I offered to help. Now that Buckbeak is dead she wants to make that bedroom livable again."

Buckbeak the infamous Hippogriff never really got over Sirius Black's death. They had been very close as fugitives running from the law. Both had prices on their heads and serious consequences if they were caught. Skulking in caves and then being locked up in the old house forged an unbreakable bond. The only other persons who had been able to get anywhere near the animal after Sirius' death were Hermione and Harry. Even with their attentions after Sirius was gone, the creature finally gave up. It was a sad day for most of the Order, despite any of their personal fears about the animal, when Buckbeak finally died. It symbolized the closing of a chapter… the confirmation that Sirius Black was indeed dead as well.

"Two years of dried blood, droppings and feathers all over the place require a strong potion. Thank goodness she did not actually ask me to help with the cleaning."

"How is Molly?" Severus had not asked anyone about Charlie's mother specifically since it was discovered that Charlie was missing and presumed dead.

Hermione tried to hide a tear from Severus as she wiped it away swiftly. She was not successful in her attempt.

"She is keeping herself busy. That helps, I am sure."

"The loss of a child is something that no parent should ever have to experience." Severus thought on his words as he handed a clean handkerchief to Hermione. He was of course thinking of the years he believed his child had died, thinking of that damn explosion in France. Then he thought of the living hell his brother was going through after the loss of his two children. That was too much of a sorrow to bear.

Their downhearted talk was interrupted by an exhausted Gwendolyn Wakefield. Severus felt awkward being once again in her presence, but tried to hide his feelings from his student. He was not successful in his attempt. Hermione simply gave a smile to the woman she hardly knew, but already respected.

"Excuse me," Gwen said, her eyes settling on Hermione who seemed a friendly face. "I thought you would want to know, Severus, that Anza left in the middle of the night."

"What?" He was not angry. No, he had expected Anza to leave the headquarters of her own volition a great deal sooner than she did. "When did she leave? Did she say anything?"

"She left about three this morning," she answered, finally able to look the man in the face. "She said she wanted to go home to your family manor."

Severus could see that something serious was bothering Gwen. She would not look in his eyes, so he could not pry into her secrets.

"What is it, Gwen?" He asked firmly.

"Bill Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt went to the Snape manor to make sure she made it home safely." She was indeed quite nervous.

"What is it? What happened?"

"They could not move any closer to the house or it would look suspicious. They could not tell if there were any Death Eaters still around."

"What!" Death Eaters at his home? With his Anza there alone? What was Gwen not telling him?

"Kingsley and a few other aurors from the Ministry will be headed there soon to make certain everything is all right."

Severus did not wait for Gwen to say anything else. He stormed out of the laboratory and was down two flights of stairs before either Hermione or Gwendolyn caught up with him. Before he was able to get to the front door of the home, Gwen stood in front of the door.

"You need to stay here, Severus," she ordered. "It is not safe for you there."

"I will go to my own home when I damn well please!"

He pushed her out of the way of the exit. Gwendolyn called something after him, but he could not hear before he Apparated to his home.

Severus felt as if someone had kicked him in the stomach when he arrived in a wooded area on his family's grounds. Something was definitely off about the place. He could see it hovering in the air above the home like an unwelcome rain cloud – the Dark Mark.

The sight of the mark had never instilled such a fear in his heart before. But… the mark had never been blown up and floated over his own home. The early morning sun had already risen over the old stone manor. How terrifying the mark looked in the dark night sky was nothing compared to how frightening it looked on a bright blue background. Remembering that his daughter was in the house, Severus could care less about any warnings that had been thrown his way by Gwen. He ran as fast as he could to the side door that led to the kitchen entrance.

"Anza!" He shouted her name repeatedly as he threw open the door. His stomach twisted itself into knots and his blood pressure rose as he found broken body after broken body room to room in his house. The Death Eaters who had attacked the house killed the Snape house elves in the raid. Already the home was starting to smell the acrid odor of blood warming in the heat. Severus had to choke down bile that rose in his throat as he stepped over the bodies. "Anza!"

She was in the family lounge lying on a sofa… motionless. Severus rushed to her, to check to see if she was all right. To his great relief and joy, she began to stir after a simple Ennervate spell.

"Wha…" She sat up on the sofa and almost fainted dead away at the sight of Flottie lying dead on the floor. Her eyes grew wide with terror. "Father! It is not safe for you here! Get out now!"

"What happened, Anza?"

"They know!" She jumped off the sofa with the reflexes of a cat, despite her earlier state. If Severus had a galleon for every time she had been knocked unconscious since the day she returned to Britain…

"What? Who knows?"

"The Dark Lord knows! He knows that you have been spying for the Order. He knows you are a traitor."

Severus finally understood what that saying 'when your blood runs cold' was all about. The one thing he had long feared in his life had finally come true. Judging by the sheer terror on his daughter's face, he knew that she was speaking the truth. Somehow someone figured out what he was up to.

"How?" Despite the fact that he knew he was in danger, already feared that Death Eaters were watching the manor and knew that he was in there at the moment, Severus found he could not move from the place he was standing without hearing an explanation.

"I do not know how!" She was furious and petrified all at once. "That is not what matters right now. Only two places are safe for you right now… well, actually probably only one. You have to go back from where you just came."

"Anza, what happened?" He was not going to leave without the full story of why his family's house elves were murdered, his daughter was unconscious and the Dark Mark was floating over his home.

"I will tell you quickly, but then you must leave!"

She looked around the room as if she expected someone to burst through the doors that very moment.

"This morning I apparated here about three. When I arrived the entire place felt awkward. Because of those anti-apparation wards around the house I had to stand outside the back door waiting for one of the elves to unlock the door. While I was standing there and just a moment after Flottie unlocked the door, someone came up behind me and grabbed me. Naturally I was terrified. I tried to struggle, but when I turned around I saw it was Antonin."

"Dolohov?"

"Do you know another!"

Anza did not like telling this story to her father, but knew she had to continue.

"He demanded to know where you were. When I told him I did not know, he got very angry. Lucius Malfoy… that _(She used a long string of Russian words Severus heard come out of Marina's mouth quite frequently in their marriage, but never asked what they meant. No doubt they were profane.)_ and then Greg's dad came up to us. They both started to demand where you were. I asked repeatedly what was going on and why they needed you, but no one would tell me. Before I had a chance to stop them, at least a dozen Death Eaters entered the manor. Antonin held me outside."

"What did they do inside the house?"

She looked at her father as if that was quite possibly the dumbest thing he could have asked. To follow up her expression she looked around the lounge where there were two dead house elves.

"They killed the house elves! They were intent on finding you, but obviously they could not. Antonin finally explained what happened when everyone was in the house. He said, 'I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but your father has been revealed as a spy. He is a traitor to the Dark Lord and will have to be murdered.'"

Indeed Severus' greatest fear had been realized. Voldemort knew. He had to will his daughter to continue. She was still very frightened of the earlier events.

"Vince's dad came outside to stand with us so Antonin had to continue our discussion in Russian. He told that they had a source who named you as a spy working for Dumbledore."

"Who was the source?"

"He did not tell me though he did seem to get sick pleasure out of revealing that bit of information to me. Antonin continued with saying that because of your treachery your family should have to suffer, but because there were certain allies of your family members, none would be hurt."

"What?" He was confused to say the least at those words.

"Lucinda Malfoy would not allow Sidonius to be murdered, so Lucius spared him. I am sure that Antonin Dolohov was the reason that I was spared. Now that Charlie has gone missing, and all you lot seem to think he is dead, no doubt Antonin thinks he finally has a chance."

"Does he?" He thought he knew the answer, but wanted to make certain.

"Would I ever marry Antonin Dolohov!" She was furious. "Never! Charlie is still alive. I can feel it, Father. He is the man I will marry. He is the wizard I will spend the rest of my life with!"

Severus immediately felt terrible for bringing up Charlie's name into the mix. Anza was still holding on to the notion that he was not dead, simply misplaced. Seeing as how his daughter had come back from the dead and he had just seen his first love come back from the dead… well, Severus was beginning to imagine that she might have a very good reason for believing the way she did. What was it that Hermione said?

_"Sometimes, especially in the world of magic, things are not always what they seem."_

"How did you end up unconscious in the lounge?" He demanded, hoping to change the subject.

"Lucius Malfoy."

There was nothing else that needed to be said about that aspect of the night's adventures. Malfoy was a cruel man who loved to inflict pain and suffering on anyone who came across his path. Feeling certain that Anza had said something not to his liking, but remembering his promise not to kill her, Lucius most likely took his anger out on her without the aid of a wand. Indeed Severus could see the mark on her temple where she had been struck.

"Leave, Father." Anza had never been so forceful with the man. She was completely serious. "It is not safe for you here. Return to where you came from at once."

He could not argue any longer. His life was indeed in danger in his family home. With a quick kiss on his daughter's forehead he left the manor in a hurry. As he stepped out onto the grounds he heard movement coming from hedges not very far from him. Before he even had a chance to make certain that there were indeed enemies lurking on the grounds, Severus had Apparated to Number Twelve.

* * *

Immediately upon entering the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, Severus came face to face with Albus Dumbledore himself. The elderly wizard looked very agitated and practically pulled the younger wizard into the house. A small gathering of Order members crowded the entrance hall. Kingsley Shacklebolt whispered something quietly to Tonks before she in turn whispered something to Bill Weasley. Remus Lupin and Gwendolyn Wakefield were speaking in hushed tones in a corner. The younger generation of the Order, including the youngest four Weasleys, Sean, Hermione and Harry Potter were all staring at the potions master with a look that spoke of how uncomfortable they all were to be in that place.

Severus did not need to ask them what was going on. He already knew.

"Voldemort knows." It was a statement that Albus made sound like a question.

"How did they find out?" Remus was noticeably upset by the news.

"I am not sure," Severus replied. "Anza was not able to give me any information past the fact that the Dark Lord knows what I have been doing."

There was silence among the group at that information. Everyone was afraid of what might happen to them now that the enemy had information about their ranks. If they were able to find out about Severus being a spy… then how much did He Who Must Not Be Named and his supporters actually know about the Order? Severus was one of their biggest secrets. That meant a wealth of information about the resistance, could be, at present, within the Dark Lord's clammy grasp.

"The only thing I fear we can do, Severus," Albus finally said aloud. "Is keep you hidden. You are not to the leave the headquarters."

Albus Dumbledore might as well have condemned Severus to a lifetime sentence in the Azkaban of the dementors for all the misery he felt cooped up in Sirius Black's family home. An entire week passed within those walls before Severus finally felt an ounce of sympathy for the former owner's incarceration within. He almost felt guilty for the dozens of barbs he made about Sirius Black's contribution to the order. Even with potions to brew there was very little else to do in the manor besides clean the filth that had accumulated.

It was with the utmost disgrace that Severus found himself standing in Buckbeak's room covered up to his elbows in blood and feathers. Certainly he made an interesting sight to behold. Occasionally Ginny Weasley would look back at him from her own spot of the floor she was scrubbing to make certain she was actually seeing her professor scrubbing the muck with her. Ron Weasley used magic to clear away broken rat bones while Harry Potter complained that two more weeks would pass before he could legally use magic outside of Hogwarts. Both young men reserved especially nasty scowls for Severus if they dared to look in his direction. Molly Weasley smiled often at the surly professor. She was a persuasive woman… he had to give her that. Since the disappearance of her second son, Mrs. Weasley kept herself busy to prevent the madness that grief can bring on. It was particularly for this reason that Severus allowed himself to be talked into manual labor.

Only two in the room helping seemed to pay him no mind. Hermione Granger was too busy talking and scrubbing to take notice of Severus. Sean Wakefield was too busy scrubbing and listening to Hermione to take notice of Severus. The two of them had been discussing all manner of subjects together for over an hour. Severus was past annoyed with the both of them. Hermione was such a Know-it-all and Sean seemed to eat it all up. He listened to her as if every word that came out of her mouth was the most interesting nugget of knowledge he had ever consumed.

"An entire herd of domesticated thestrals?" Severus heard Sean asked the young lady in awe. "How many are there?"

"At least a hundred," Hermione replied.

"Wow… that is amazing." He was clearly impressed by the knowledge of the herd of thestrals Hagrid had domesticated on the Hogwarts' grounds. Severus merely narrowed his eyes when he heard Sean speak. "Have you seen them?"

"Well, no… I have never seen them," she answered, but quickly added "but I have ridden one before."

"I have never heard of tame thestrals. In the Elphick settlement, where I lived in Belgium, there were a couple of wild thestrals. You were smart to stay away from them."

At the sound of Hermione's laugh Severus found he could no longer take staying in that room for another moment. Certain that no one would miss him if he left, he threw his scrubbing brush to the ground and headed for the nearest washroom. Half an hour later he emerged perfectly clean and ready to hide once more in the potions laboratory.

The laboratory now doubled as his private room. In an unused corner a small bed had been set up with a privacy screen around it. He did not want to utilize another room in the house because he feared that might have meant he would have to share with someone he did not want to share with. As it turned out all the permanent and semi-permanent residents of the house were more than grateful to hear he was staying away from everyone in the room he already practically inhabited anyway.

Upon reaching the lab and finding it completely devoid of any other life form, Severus released a long sigh. Privacy in Number Twelve did not even seem to exist. Rarely had he found himself alone for more than half an hour the entire week he was there. Exhaustion flooded over the wizard's body as he caught sight of the empty bed. He knew that a few hours of undisturbed peace were a luxury in that house, but he was determined to get at least some sleep.

* * *

A black tunnel of emptiness stretched out in front of him. Though he could see nothing in the pitch black, Severus' feet carried him further and further. The space was completely void of any sound… deathly quiet. The silence unnerved him, but Severus continued. Again there was no light at the end of the tunnel. Still… he felt compelled to continue his journey. Without warning the silence was broken by a haunting echo of a woman's laughter. Before he knew what he was doing, Severus was running into the blackness, the laughter steadily getting louder. When the sound was almost so loud that he was forced to cover his ears with his hands…

He was awake. Only one other dream in his life had ever been recurring. It was the horrible nightmare of Anza's death all over again… except… there was no fear in this dream. There was no anxiety… only… hell, even he, the wizard with all the answers had not a clue what the permeating feeling of the dream was.

Though the feeling held no fear or worry for Severus, he found upon waking that he certainly needed something to calm him nerves. Dressing quickly in the dark, reading the time to be just after one a.m., Severus made his way to the basement kitchen. At that time the house was unusually quite. Most of the inhabitants found their way to bed about two or three o'clock in the morning. The events of the day must have been tiring for all. Indeed cleaning up after an angry hippogriff was not an easy chore.

"Excuse me, sir," Hermione Granger said when she entered the kitchen only a few seconds after him. "I did not expect to find anyone else in here."

"I will be out of your way in just a few moments," he retorted harshly as he placed a kettle of water on the stove.

"No," she replied rather too quickly. "I did not mean to make you think I wished for you to leave. I was just surprised."

Before he had a chance to do so, Hermione removed the whistling teapot off of the hot burner. With a quick flick of her wrist two cups with matching saucers zoomed across the room to her. Before he had a chance to help, Hermione made them each a steaming cup of tea. She carried them to the large dining table. Before he had a chance to protest, Severus found himself seated next to Miss Granger drinking her tea.

"This was not necessary, Miss Granger," he said as he took his first sip. To his great surprise he tasted something oddly familiar and yet something he almost completely forgot about. "What kind of tea is this?"

"Chamomile with a hint of raspberry," she answered. "My mother used to brew it for me when I had trouble sleeping."

"I had forgotten what this tasted like." He took another long sip, closing his eyes at the memories that the simple act of drinking tea brought flooding back. "My elder sister used to make this for me."

Strange how mundane an event as drinking a cup of tea could be an experience not easily forgotten by the ones involved. Both Hermione and Severus quietly sipped the their tea, neither of them saying a word for several moments.

"Do you think Anza is all right in your family manor alone?" Hermione finally asked the question that had bothered her for some time. An entire week had passed since the day Severus found his daughter unconscious in their family lounge surrounded by the corpses of their house elves. In all of that time, he had heard nothing from his daughter. She had not come by the headquarters a single time.

"I was told that my younger brother was informed of the events of that night," he answered quietly. "Knowing Sidonius as I do, he is watching out for her."

"I am surprised that she has not stopped by the headquarters this week."

"You, Miss Granger, are not the only one surprised by that, I assure you." He was in truth more than a little worried about his daughter… well, more worried than the average or even the average overprotective father worries about their daughter. Somehow he feared his absence would create situations he did not want his daughter to find herself in.

"Do you think she is all right? I mean, really safe?"

"I have been assured by a few Ministry aurors within the Order that they have someone who checks on the manor a few times a day. As of yet there have been no problems or suspicious guests." He finished his tea in one swill.

"But you are going over there to make certain that she is all right, aren't you?"

_Damn_… Sometimes Hermione was entirely too perceptive. Despite his years of study as an Occlumens and the fact that she had never studied Legilimency, Miss Granger could see straight through the concerned father. She knew he would risk both Voldemort's and Albus Dumbledore's wrath for a few moments to find out if his daughter was safe and well cared for.

"I was planning to slip out tomorrow morning before breakfast."

"Oh."

No further elaboration on the plan was available because at that moment they were both interrupted by a third person. Hermione smiled at the newcomer, but Severus could hardly look at her. Instead of looking Gwendolyn Wakefield in the eye, he stared at the table in front of him. His reaction did not go unnoticed by either of the ladies.

"I hope I did not interrupt anything," she said quickly, crossing the room to the stove. Gwen had the same idea as the other two in the room.

"We were just talking about Anza," Hermione answered. "Hoping that she is all right."

Gwen poured herself a cup of tea and seated herself across the table from Hermione and Severus.

"You are not thinking about going to see her, are you, Severus?" Her tone was the same tone she used when they were Hogwarts students and she was afraid he was going to do or say something horrible to Sirius Black. When he did not answer her question, she continued. "You do not honestly think that we, the Order, just left Anza alone out there in your manor, do you?"

He was silent again. His eyes never left the cup he was pushing around the table with his hands.

"Remus himself has gone there every day this week to make certain that she was all right."

At the mention of Remus' name, Severus rose quickly from the table. He crossed to a corner of the room silently. Speaking about his first love's new love was not exactly what he had in mind to calm his nerves. Hermione felt instantly uncomfortable between the two, though she was not entirely aware of their past together. She made to busy herself with preparing another cup of tea. Silence fell in the room.

"There you are," Remus said upon seeing Gwen in his entrance to the kitchen. "When I woke up and you were not next to me, I was worried."

The moment those words left his mouth he caught sight of both Hermione and Severus. If the light was any brighter in the dark kitchen, all present could have seen the bright red blushes on Remus's face. He had not expected to find anyone else in the room with him.

"Sorry, love." Gwen smiled weakly at the werewolf. "My mind was racing. I thought a cup of tea would help. I will be up in a minute."

Reluctantly, Remus left the kitchen. He was aware that he walked in on the middle of a strained conversation. With a look over his shoulder and a reassuring smile from Gwen, he disappeared up the stairs. Hermione made her excuses to follow her former Defense professor up the stairs. For the first time since their meeting in the drawing room, Severus and Gwen were alone.

"Do not do anything foolish, Severus," Gwen pleaded. "Anza is all right."

He did not answer her or reply to her in any fashion. Banishing his used teacup to the sink with his wand, Severus climbed the stairs and headed towards his laboratory. Once again he found himself furious for a reason he could not understand. Of course he already knew that Remus and Gwen were sharing a bedroom together on the third floor. Everyone in the house knew that. Somehow being confronted with the knowledge that the two of them were actually sharing their lives, their most intimate moments together… he found the knowledge choking. He knew he had to let her go, had to let her move on with her life, but it was difficult all the same. And then she went on and on about not doing anything foolish. What right did she have to give him any kind of advice like that?

His thoughts racing through his mind shortened the trip to his combined working space and room. Hermione's tea had indeed made him sleepy, just as Speranza's tea had always done before. When he opened the privacy screen around his bed he was surprised by what he found sitting there. The same invisibility cloak he had taken from the foot of the Whomping Willow years earlier was folded neatly on his pillow. A note was attached.

_Borrowed this from a friend of mine. Thought you could make some use of it tomorrow morning. Please be careful. –HG_

_

* * *

_

Slipping out of the headquarters unnoticed was a particularly easy task to achieve underneath an invisibility cloak. The actual use of the cloak bothered Severus immensely. He did not like looking down to see nothing. It made his head hurt. Apparating to his family manor underneath the invisibility cloak was likewise an easy task. He arrived just as the sun was rising. Keeping the cloak wrapped firmly around him, Severus made for the side door. As he reached his hand out to touch the doorknob the door swung open. Expecting to see his daughter who always seemed to know the exact moment he returned home, Severus was greatly surprised to see the person he had to jump out of the way of.

Antonin Dolohov was leaving his home looking as jaunty as a child on Christmas morning. Remembering the man's intentions with his daughter, Severus was about to curse him with his wand when he felt a hand reach out to grab his wrist. Turning quickly but silently he found no one… but someone was definitely holding firm to his wrist. The moment Antonin made the telling pop sound of apparation, Severus heard a low growl from the direction of whomever or whatever was holding on to him.

"_You_ are supposed to be in hiding, Severus," Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody said in a cautious tone to him.

"I had to check on my daughter!" He wriggled out of Moody's grasp. "And do you blame me? Look who was just coming out of the manor."

"I can assure you, Severus, that Miss Snape is perfectly all right."

"How can you say that?" His voice was harsh, but quiet in the early morning hour.

"Mr. Dolohov has left this house at the same time the past four mornings. And each time he leaves… Miss Snape is fine."

Antonin Dolohov was a frequent visitor at his own home now that he was gone? And Alastor Moody, the Auror responsible for the arrests of the most Death Eaters, was standing by simply watching him leave? Almost as if sensing Severus' questions, Moody did his best to answer them.

"I am not sure what Dolohov does while he is here." Moody cleared his throat before continuing. "But it does not appear that he harms your daughter in any way. My job here is to simply stand guard at certain times of the day to make certain that nothing happens to your daughter. My orders come straight from Dumbledore. I am to see who enters and leaves the home in the morning, midday and evening hours. No matter who I may see here, I am not to interfere unless Miss Snape's safety is in peril that moment."

Severus shifted uncomfortably under the invisibility cloak. He did not like any of what he was hearing, but certainly did not have a way to go about changing anything. He was not even supposed to be outside of Number Twelve. No doubt Alastor would have to report his visit to Dumbledore.

"I suggest you return to the Headquarters, Severus."

A suggestion from Alastor Moody was an order. Begrudgingly, Severus Apparated back to the headquarters. He did not remove the cloak until he was safely inside his laboratory. To his surprise… well, actually he was not surprised in the least, Hermione was waiting for him. She spent a great deal of time in the lab anyway, but at that moment she was sitting on the desk staring at the door. When he entered still clad in the cloak, she jumped off the desk.

"Is she all right?"

Something prevented him from not speaking in her presence. Something about Hermione Granger made him say more than was perhaps good for him to.

"I did not get an opportunity to see her," he replied. "But Alastor Moody assured me that she is fine."

"Moody was there?"

"Hidden, also underneath an invisibility cloak."

"I forgot he could see through those."

"That information, Miss Granger, would have been quite helpful to me this morning."

Severus shrugged off the cloak. Hermione took it from him and began to fold it up.

"He would not let you in the house?" She seemed surprised that even though Severus broke one of Dumbledore's most stern orders, Moody did not allow the concerned wizard to see his own daughter.

Severus stopped speaking about the morning's events at that moment. Hermione knew better than to push him further. She left the room with the cloak hidden under her robe. Finally the potions professor thought he might get a moment's peace, but the feeling was not to last long. Miss Granger returned. She was obviously in the mood to talk. Something serious was on her mind.

"How long have you been in love with Gwendolyn?" She asked, shocking even herself with her boldness.

"What?"

Well… as long as she had gone for it the first time she might as well continue what she started.

"My thought was for many years… since you two were in school together. Last night, or rather this morning kind of confirmed my suspicion."

"That is none of your business, Miss Granger." His tone was harsh, but she did not seem to hear.

"You are more noble than most men, Professor. Despite your own feelings for Gwen you were able to see that she is truly happy with Remus. Most would not let an opportunity like that pass them by."

Hermione Granger was infuriating. She was always sticking her nose into business that was not hers. How many times in the years that he had known her had she involved herself in a situation that had nothing to do with her? This was no exception. Before he had a chance to collect his thoughts and say something really nasty to her, she excused herself from the room. She left him fuming with only a half-brewed potion to occupy his thoughts.

* * *

Every morning for two weeks, Severus snuck out of the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and Apparated to the duck pond on his family estate. There was a perfect hiding place between the hedges that provided him cover but gave him an excellent view of the back kitchen door. At least ten mornings Antonin Dolohov exited from that door at the same time. What he was doing in his house was still a great mystery to Severus… one that he was not willing to let go.

So he waited until one evening around eight… when he knew that Moody would be at Hogwarts Castle meeting with Albus Dumbledore… to apparate to his home. He had not stepped foot in it since the day he discovered the carnage within, the day after Voldemort discovered he was a spy. The kitchen door opened with the special spell that only the Snape family members knew. He was surprised to find the house spotless… the last trip had been horrifying.

There was movement in the lounge. Hiding behind a door in some shadows, Severus looked to make certain that he was hearing his daughter and only his daughter. Anza was reclining on a chaise lounge, a large book spread out next to her. She was indeed alone.

"Anza."

She jumped at the sound of his voice and ran to throw her arms around her father.

"I have been so worried about you!" She hugged him tight, and as he expected, began to cry. "They have not let me out of the house or I would have come to see you."

"They?" He did not need to ask the question, but did so anyway.

"The Dark Lord had Bellatrix Lestrange place a barrier spell around the house. If I step foot out the door an alarm is sounded and half a dozen Death Eaters apparate here immediately."

"Is that why I have seen Dolohov leave this house?"

Anza did not look her father in the eye at the mention of that wizard's name.

"He is my _guard_ whenever he can be spared," she replied. "No doubt he jumped at the chance for that position."

"He is just here to guard?" Something in him did not like the thought of Dolohov's orders. Something in him did not like that man around his daughter for any reason or in any way.

"Yes, he comes to sit outside of my bedroom door some nights." She shuddered again at the thought. "His presence here unnerves me, but I know he is here because the Dark Lord knows you will return to check on me."

Her eyes widened at her words. Even without reading her, Severus could see terror in her eyes.

"You must leave now! It is not safe."

From the moment Severus laid eyes on his daughter that night something about her felt off. She seemed altered somehow in a way he could not describe. But, he had to remind himself, she had only in the last month lost the man she loved and claimed to want to spend her life with, witnessed a massacre of the house elves who had taken care of her family for years, and been put under house arrest by the Dark Lord himself. With her father hiding to save his life and the horrible excuse for a wizard, Dolohov, invading her privacy and no doubt enjoying his intrusion, it was natural for Anza to be changed.

"I only wanted to check to see that you were all right." He kissed her forehead gently.

The mark on his left arm began to burn – a summons. He had, of course, been ignoring the summons he received over the past few weeks, but there was no way to stop them entirely. It burned furiously whenever Voldemort had a mind to make it.

"You really need to go," Anza said as she began to physically push her father towards the entrance hall. "It is not safe for you to be here any longer."

The mark continued burning on his arm as Severus planted his feet in the carpet of the lounge. He refused to move. Looking at his daughter he saw her skin had turned pale and clammy.

"Are you all right, Anza?"

She said nothing. When a particularly harsh bit of pain hit his arm from the general vicinity of the mark, Severus saw his daughter flinch. Without even a thought… without even realizing what he was doing, Severus grabbed his daughter by her left arm. She protested and tried to wriggle out of his grasp. Before he lost his grip on her he pulled the sleeve of her robe up to her elbow. There, as black as coal, burning on her arm was – the Dark Mark.


	31. Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

With all of her strength Anza pulled her arm out of her father's grip. Fearing his reactions from the horrible revelation made to him, she ran as fast as she could out of the front door of their home. Severus followed, but he was not fast enough. Moments before he was able to catch up with his daughter, Anza disapparated from the grounds. It took all of his self-control to keep himself from following after her. She was on her way to a dark revel, a meeting with Voldemort. Despite all he had done to protect her and all the protestations she made against the Dark, Anza was now a part of Voldemort's army.

He stumbled across the dark grounds in shock. His daughter a Death Eater? He failed her. That knowledge made him nauseous. After emptying the contents of his stomach on the vast, green carpet, Severus felt two distinct presences behind him. They did not instill fear in him. Before he could turn around he felt a strong hand on his shoulder and a familiar voice.

"You should not be here, Severus," Albus' tone was firm, but gentle.

"Headmaster, I…" He tried to find an excuse for his blatant disobedience but there was none. Even he knew how wrong what he had done had been. Carefully he turned to see his mentor and Alastor Moody.

"Come with us, Severus," Albus ordered. "Alastor and I have a great deal to discuss with you."

Less than half an hour later Severus found himself seated in the Headmaster's circular office in Hogwarts Castle. He felt as if time had gone backwards and he was once again a schoolboy who had been caught cursing Sirius Black. He refused the hot cocoa offered by Albus due to the nausea still present in his stomach. The shock of finding out what his daughter had been up to had not quite worn off.

"Your safety was not the only reason I did not want you anywhere near your home," Albus finally said, seating himself behind his desk, Alastor and Severus seated across from him. "I did not think it wise that you had any contact with your daughter."

"So… you knew?" What was Severus asking? Of course Albus Dumbledore knew everything. He thought those thoughts bitterly. Albus knew and he, her own father, had no clue whatsoever.

"I must admit that I have had my suspicions," Albus replied. "Alastor had his as well."

"For how long?" Anza had never given him so much as half a reason to think she might even one day consider associate with a known Death Eater, let alone become one.

"Alastor had a fear that Miss Snape was a part of the other side for as long as she has been back in this country."

"That is a lie!" Severus shouted at the man seated next to him. Alastor Moody's paranoia was mythic, but he was not about to let his daughter's good name be dragged through the mud on account of him. His Anza had not been a part of the Death Eaters for long… if her role with them in the first place was legitimate.

"Severus, no one is arguing with you on that," Albus calmly replied, hoping to soothe the younger man. "I was quite surprised to hear that Anza had… well, taken the mark. Alastor only told me a few weeks ago."

"And this was not information you thought I needed to know!"

A strained silence permeated the air. Albus Dumbledore knew better than to provoke his young professor. The most simple of arguments or the wrong word used at the wrong time could send the young man over the edge. He was not one to upset too much… at least not when you wished to be on the same side.

"There was nothing that you could have done, Severus," he said quietly, hoping he was not about to offend him. "Your daughter made her own decision."

"How do you know about all of this?" He demanded of Alastor Moody. "She could have been forced."

"Our source says that Miss Snape took the mark willingly, of her own volition," Moody snapped back. "She came to see You Know Who on her own… and she freely kissed his robes and offered her arm."

"That is a lie!" Severus leapt out of his seat and towards the auror. He had never felt such anger in all of his life. The old auror's reflexes were still excellent. Severus was hit with an impediment spell before his fury could be directed towards Moody in a physical manner.

"We both realize that this information has been difficult for you to grasp," Albus said once he ended Moody's spell.

"This _information_?" Severus spat out the words towards the elderly wizard. "Been difficult to grasp?"

"Our source is reliable," Moody opened his unwelcome mouth again to say.

"What source?"

Alastor Moody and Albus Dumbledore exchanged looks across the table that Severus did not understand at the time. Later, when the secrets revealed themselves, Severus finally understood. Both men were wondering how much the disgraced spy should actually be told.

"I am afraid, Severus," Albus began. "We cannot share the name of our source. Unfortunately following what happened in your situation we cannot allow a repeat performance. Moody and I are the only ones who know."

"It is obvious that an Order member is spying for You Know Who," Moody growled. "They must have been the one to inform on you, Severus."

The fact that an Order member was the cause of Severus' exposure was sadly not news to the former spy. But who was the informer? Just as no one would have expected Peter Pettigrew to rat out his supposed friends, no one knew where to look for the newest leak inside their ranks. At least no one could reveal the location of their headquarters. Albus Dumbledore had made certain of that.

"If you cannot tell me who your source is could you at least tell me what they said about my daughter?

Both men exchanged the same look they previously shared across the table. Finally it was Albus who spoke up.

"After the … incident at your family manor a few weeks ago, I sent Remus and Kingsley over to check on Anza. They returned every day for a week to make certain that nothing out of the ordinary, or rather, nothing sinister was happening now that you were gone. After a week nothing was odd, so I had the two men stop their visits. Unfortunately Alastor and I had the same fear at the same time."

"And that was?"

"That your daughter would turn against you now that you were revealed as a spy and join the other side." Moody was still furious at the earlier attempted attack on his person.

"What I believe Alastor is trying to say…" Albus gave the auror a stern look using only his eyes. "We were afraid that without you as her guardian and remembering the kind of lifestyle she lived with her mother that Anza might fall under a bad influence. You yourself told me how Antonin Dolohov wanted to marry her. We did not wish for your daughter to find herself in trouble and alone, so we had her followed.

"Only after Alastor saw Dolohov leave your family home the first morning that he was there did any red flags fly up for us. We asked our source what he was doing at the manor with Miss Snape."

"What did your damned _source _say?"

"A week after you were revealed as a spy by someone that even our contact does not know, Miss Snape Apparated to Lucius Malfoy's estate to speak with him privately. While the specifics of the conversation is not known, we can only assume that she was meeting with him to assure him of her loyalty to Voldemort."

Severus could hardly stand to listen to what he was hearing. His daughter a Death Eater? His daughter swearing loyalty to the Dark Lord? He was still in shock, unable to believe what he heard and saw with his own eyes.

"That same night of her meeting with Mr. Malfoy, Miss Snape arrived for her first meeting with Voldemort. She confidently went to kiss the hem of Voldemort's robes… and just as Alastor said earlier, freely offered her arm. Apparently she hardly even flinched with pain after receiving the mark. Then… well, then Voldemort welcomed her into his circle with open arms."

"She really is among them?" Severus asked, knowing that whatever came out of Dumbledore's mouth had to be the truth.

"Yes, I am sorry, Severus, but Anza is now a Death Eater. She has even been invited into the Inner Circle."

"Did your source give you any reason why she would join? She has always claimed to hate Dark magic and any who uses it. She almost did not come back to Britain because her mother told her that I was a dark wizard who served the Dark Lord. Why would she choose to join?"

"We cannot give you the reasons why she joined… only what has happened since she has joined."

"Is it true that she is under house arrest?" Despite himself and his need to believe his daughter's words, Severus had difficulty believing that part of her story.

"Your manor is under surveillance, by both the Order and the Death Eaters. We can only provide someone, usually Alastor, at certain times of the day. I assume that the Death Eaters are the same… or you most likely would have been discovered earlier tonight. As far as suggesting that Anza may be under house arrest, I do not believe that she is. Alastor has seen her leave the home and the grounds on many occasions with little to no difficulty. We believe the surveillance is there to keep you away… or at the very least to keep a record of your visits."

Something else bothered the father greatly. He struggled with himself as to whether or not he should ask the two men in the office about it. Severus was not entirely certain he wanted to know the answer.

"Is Antonin Dolohov actually Anza's guard?"

His question was not answered for several agonizing moments.

"We do not have complete information of the reason for Dolohov's visits," Albus finally answered.

Moody let out a quiet, but nonetheless audible scoff. Severus pretended not to notice.

"Anza has apparently… uh, become more familiar with Dolohov. They seem to be quite close."

"Close? How close?"

"The man sleeps at your bloody house, for Merlin's sake!" Moody shouted, his frustration no secret at all. "Do we have to draw you pictures?"

Albus raised a silent hand to quiet the ranting auror.

"We know only their relationship is much closer than it once was. For all the information we have, they could simply be good friends. It is not wise to jump to conclusions."

Severus had had enough. He was tired of hearing that his daughter was fighting for the wrong side. He had no wish to think of her as a member of the Dark Lord's elite, Inner Circle or remember how the damn mark marred her beautiful, alabaster skin. He certainly did not want to hear about Anza's new relationship with Antonin Dolohov.

Before anyone could stop him, Severus rushed out of the Headmaster's office. He practically flew down the staircases and corridors leading to the Entrance Hall. Behind him he heard the flapping and swishing of his long, black robes as he crossed the Hogwarts' grounds. Once outside of the gates he Apparated to Grimmauld Place. Usually the house came directly into view, but standing there on the street Severus could see nothing.

"The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place," Albus said behind him a moment after Severus heard the pop of Apparation. Immediately the old house came back into view.

"What…?" He was not even certain what to ask.

"I had to redo the Fidelius Charm on the house. Now that Miss Snape is a Death Eater we cannot risk her returning."

* * *

Severus found himself standing in an overgrown graveyard, broken headstones all around him. The air was crisp, but smelled of death. The pungent odor was so thick he could almost taste it. Sounds came from the eastern section of the yard, hidden by large cypress trees covered in draping moss. Something in him told him to stay away from the sounds, but his feet moved him there regardless. Standing up against a large mausoleum was his daughter, laughing with her head thrown back. A large man blocked most of Severus' view of his daughter. When he moved closer to the couple, the man turned around. It was Antonin Dolohov, smirking. Severus reached for his wand to curse the smirk off of his face permanently.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" He shouted, pointing his wand at Dolohov.

Nothing happened. Dolohov and Anza merely laughed. Severus looked at his wand to find it was a hissing snake. He threw the creature down while the laughter rang in his ears.

"That will never do, Father," Anza said to him between laughs. She picked the green wriggling snake from the ground and gave it a tiny kiss on its head. "Snakes do not kill… they only crawl on their bellies."

"Your daughter is right, Severus," chuckled Dolohov.

In the corner of his eye, Severus saw a third figure moving amongst the headstones. A petite woman dressed all in black with a large hat and veil leaned down to place flowers on a grave. Curious to see whom the woman was, his curiosity caused Severus to walk towards the woman, forgetting his daughter and Dolohov.

"I did not think you would come," he found himself saying to the woman. She reached up to hold on to his offered hand. She carefully pulled herself up to her feet. "I did not expect you."

The woman pulled her black veil over her head. Hermione Granger gave him a weak smile behind her yards of mourning garb.

"I come every year," she replied. "Do you like the flowers? I know they are your favorite."

A bouquet of large dandelions lay at the base of a grave. Severus' eyes traveled from the ground where the flowers lay to the grave marker itself. Carved on the stone:

_Severus Snape_

_Born January 9, 1960 – Died _

_Beloved Father and Husband_

"Nothing is etched in stone yet, Severus," Hermione said. She reached her gloved hand up to tenderly touch his cheek. "But the future is also not yet ours."

"Father."

Anza interrupted the scene. Severus turned to see his daughter dressed in a long white gown. He saw a man standing next to her wearing dark formal robes. The man's face was hidden in the shadows.

"You said he was gone." Her eyes were full of tears. Severus turned back around to Hermione, but she was gone. When he looked back at his daughter, her dress was no longer white, but as black as the night sky behind her. Her face was covered with the awful Death Eater mask he was entirely too familiar with. "You said he was gone."

Anza stepped forward closer to her father. Her voice was not angry; it was full of hurt and even fear. The man stepped from the shadows to comfort the sobbing woman. It was not Antonin Dolohov as Severus assumed… it was Charlie Weasley.

"You said he was gone!" She screamed at her father, the mask falling off her face.

"I saw him crushed under the rubble." He reached out to touch his daughter's shoulder.

"_Sometimes, especially in the world of magic, things are not always what they seem."_

Hermione's words spoken in her disembodied voice rang through the still cemetery.

"We were going to name him after you," Anza announced, turning slightly so her father could catch sight of her enlarged stomach. She started to laugh quietly. "Can you imagine a redheaded Severus Snape?"

At those words Anza's laughter suddenly turned into screams of pain. She fell to the ground, neither her father nor her lover able to catch her. Instead of falling to the earth and stopping, she continued to fall. A very pregnant Anza slipped from him down into the darkened abyss beneath her.

"ANZA!"

Severus felt strong, but gentle arms shake him awake. He sat up quickly in his bed, not realizing at first that he was safe inside Number Twelve, safe inside his laboratory.

"Professor? Professor, are you all right?" Hermione Granger looked frightened.

"Anza!" He yelled again, trying to jump from the bed.

Hermione pushed him back, afraid that he would do something to hurt himself.

"Professor, it was just a dream!"

Her words brought him back to reality. Her gentle tone calmed him.

"Are you all right?" She asked, her voice full of concern and worry. "You are were having a horrible dream."

"Anza? Where is Anza, Hermione?" He said her name without thinking twice about it.

"I do not know, sir," the young woman replied, her eyes filling with big tears. "Is it true?"

Severus finally noticed the sadness and fear in Miss Granger's face. He finally saw the tears dripping from her cheerless brown eyes. Before he gave a thought to his action, he reached out to put a soothing hand on her trembling shoulder.

"Is what true?" His voice was uncharacteristically soft.

"Is Anza… is Anza a Death Eater?" Her words came out in sobs. She did not want to believe the rumors she had heard.

When he did not respond to her question, when his hand dropped off her shoulder and he turned his face away from his student, Hermione burst into a new fit of tears. She buried her weeping face in her hands.

"Why would she do that?" She demanded. "She hates the dark. She hates everything about it. Years living with her mother hardened her heart against anything remotely dark."

"I do not know, Miss Granger. It makes just a little if not less sense to me than to you."

"It has to be a mistake. She cannot actually be a Death Eater. The thought is preposterous."

"I saw the mark on her arm, Hermione… Miss Granger. The dark mark does not lie. She has taken it."

"Then she was forced to! Someone made her take it. Someone made her swear her loyalty to V-Voldemort! She would not do it on her own!"

"For someone who usually has all of the answers, you certainly do not understand what you are talking about in this instance," he snapped. "One cannot be forced to swear loyalty to the Dark Lord… even if they are under the Imperius Curse. The Death Eaters who got out of Azkaban the first time by claiming they were under the curse are liars… all of them. The curse was used, do not get me wrong, but it was not used to recruit more supporters. Either one comes to the Dark Lord freely or they do not get his mark. He only marks the ones that are loyal all on their own."

"Then she did it for a reason that we do not fully understand. Anza would not willingly go over to that side… unless she had a reason, unless she had something to gain."

"That, unfortunately, is the exact reason that many choose that path in life. They think there is something to gain by following the Dark Lord."

"I refuse to believe that Anza would do that. I refuse to believe that she would give up her freedom to fight for that bastard! I refuse to believe that she made that decision all on her own!"

"You can refuse to believe anything you wish, but that does not mean she did not take the mark. Anza is a… Death Eater."

He had not yet made that statement out loud. Somehow saying the actual words aloud was difficult.

"Does everyone know?" He asked the young woman quietly. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Professor Dumbledore called a meeting of the Order while you are asleep."

"What did he say?"

"Earlier this evening we all received handwritten notes from him telling us the same thing… 'The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place'. Needless to say we were all confused by that. We all thought we already knew where the headquarters were, especially those of us standing inside its walls at the time. He followed up those notes with his Patronus, announcing another meeting.

"The question on everyone's mind when they arrived to the house was why Dumbledore felt the need to tell us again. He was quite solemn and apologized for calling a meeting on such short notice. You can imagine what the first question of the meeting was. He said, 'Sadly, one of our members has left us. I needed to redo the spell to ensure that they are unable to return.' Everyone was confused and had even more questions, so he reluctantly elaborated. 'Anza Snape has gone over to Lord Voldemort's side'."

"What was the reaction to that?"

"Most of us were completely shocked, especially those who knew her well. We refused to believe it at first. There were some, of course, who did not seem surprised at all. They blamed her Velousova blood or her mother or … or you for turning out another Death Eater."

Severus felt certain he could pinpoint exactly who the ones were that believed his daughter was a bad egg. No doubt Alastor Moody and Emmeline Vance were at the top of the list. Neither one of them cared a bit for the youngest Snape. They never showed her anything but contempt, even when she was indeed working for the Order. She had been able to supply crucial information. Too many Death Eaters were loose lipped and passed that trait on to their offspring.

"Mrs. Weasley and Gwendolyn took the news the hardest. Neither one of them could believe Professor Dumbledore. Mrs. Weasley burst into sobs at the news. Gwendolyn was so furious she left the house. She has not returned yet. Remus is really worried about her. We all are."

They were quiet again.

"Professor… how can this be? How can Anza actually be a Death Eater?"

She looked to the man, hoping that he could somehow give her some indication that the rumors were all false. Unfortunately, he could not.

"You were dreaming about Anza. What did you see?" It was not so much of a request as an order. Hermione Granger wanted to know what he saw. She wanted to hear everything and something in Severus told him that she would not leave him alone until she got the answers that she wanted.

"I dreamed I came upon Anza and Antonin Dolohov in a deserted graveyard with broken headstones." He shuddered at the memories.

"What was she doing there with Dolohov?"

Before he could stop himself, he was telling her the entire dream, with the exception of the part where she arrived. He did not tell her about seeing her place flowers on his grave dressed all in black. Nor did he tell her about her words about the future and the gentle way she touched his cheek. He just told her about Anza, Dolohov and Charlie Weasley. Well, he did mention that he heard her words being said in the dream at one point. When he was finished with the tale and feeling embarrassed for speaking about such a private thing as a dream with a student, he could not even look at Miss Granger. His eyes bore a hole in the floor.

"I am not very good at dream interpretation," Hermione finally said. "If only Parvati was here. She is excellent at it. Usually I do not believe that dreams hold any real meaning, but that is not the case for everyone. Harry has always had quite prescient dreams. Anza is a Seer, so her dreams are usually quite prophetic. And… well, I guess I assume that you are the source of Anza's Seeing power."

"What?"

"The ability to See runs in the blood. Have you always had dreams that meant more than simple rehashes of past events?"

His thoughts immediately went to the dream that used to haunt his sleep. He thought of the dream he had continuously from the first night he slept at the Malfoy Manor until the day his daughter actually went through the very thing he feared.

"I used to dream Anza's death." Once more he found himself surprised to admit what he did. What was happening to him? Why was he so comfortable around this woman he had only previously regarded as an annoying pest? What was it about her that made him drop his guard?

"Anza confided that in me once," she said, her cheeks blushing red. "She said her mother used to torment her with that. Marina used to tell her how she saw your dream one night and then thought it would be funny to make the event come true just as you always saw it."

He had suspicions before, but this confirmed them. Marina read him their wedding night. She saw the horrible way that the little girl was murdered. She saw the pain and anger that Severus experienced after dreaming. She had even tried to comfort him. What was it that she said?

"_You need not worry, Severus… because dreams are very rarely literal_."

Marina Velousova was one sick bitch. How could a person with the tiniest hint of a conscience make a person's worst dreams come true? And no doubt she felt great pleasure at making him experience the explosion and his daughter's 'death' just like he did every night he had that damn dream.

"Whether you have realized it before now, Professor," Hermione continued, intent on steering the conversation away from the man's brutal ex-wife. "You must have some Seer powers in you. They may not have manifested themselves in you until you were older, but they are there. I have read a great deal about Seers and you definitely fit in the category."

"A few dreams hardly make one a Seer, Miss Granger." He found the entire idea of him being a Seer ridiculous. His only experience with Seers before his own daughter had that prophecy in that same house was Sibyll Trelawny. Somehow he did not fancy himself in bangles and jingling shawls talking constantly of his Inner Eye and his fears that it would get clouded.

"Anza has your eyes."

"I recall you have said this to me once before."

"Maybe they are not just similar in the physical. Maybe they contain the same powers."

"I have never foretold a prophecy."

"Maybe not like the one that Anza gave in the kitchen and maybe not like the one that Professor Trelawny gave the Headmaster in the Hog's Head or like Harry during his exam, but there have been times that you have predicted events before they happened."

"Such as?"

"There was a time in my third year when Neville added the wrong ingredient to his cauldron during our class. Before the explosion you had enough sense to rush to the back of the room to protect the students. We could have been seriously injured."

"That was not a prophecy, Miss Granger. I was always on my guard around Neville Longbottom and a cauldron. It was just instinct."

Their conversation was further interrupted by the arrival of someone at the door. For the first time they both realized that Hermione was sitting on the professor's bed. It was an intimate setting that they found themselves in. She had not left the bed since she woke the professor up from his nightmare.

"Excuse me, I did not mean to interrupt," Gwendolyn hastily apologized once she saw the scene. "Hermione, I wonder if I might be rude and ask to speak with Severus alone?"

It was not exactly a question or a request. Hermione looked once more at her professor and left the room silently. Gwen found herself pacing the small workroom impatiently. She obviously had a lot on her mind.

"Will your werewolf not be upset to find you here alone with me?" He could not stop the words from leaving his mouth before they did. Instantly he felt ashamed.

"Remus knows I am here," she spat back. "He is not the jealous type."

Severus rose from his bed carefully. He had not bothered to change earlier when he returned from Hogwarts. He simply went to bed in his traditional black robes.

"I have already spoken with Professor Dumbledore," she continued. "But I needed to hear it from you before I could actually allow myself to believe it."

"What is it that you are having difficulty understanding?" As if he even had to ask.

"Did you actually see the mark on her arm?"

"Yes."

"The Dark Mark?"

"Can you think of another that would cause this much trouble? My daughter did not simply go out and get a simple tattoo! She has been marred by the Dark Lord."

Gwendolyn felt faint. She had to lower herself onto a stool to continue her conversation.

"Why would she do something like that? It makes no sense."

"You are right. It makes no bloody sense, but she did it. Nothing about my daughter makes any sense to me now."

They were silent for several minutes as Gwendolyn thought about everything that she had heard that day. She thought about the past, of the Anza that she had known in Belgium. This was not something that girl would do. What had happened to change her so much?

"This is because of Charlie Weasley," she finally said.

"What? What about Charlie?"

"She did this because of Charlie," she said again, not giving any further explanation. "She took the mark because of Charlie."

"That does not make any sense."

"Does it not!" Her fury-filled eyes rounded on the man she once loved. "Why did you take the Dark Mark, Severus?"

He had not thought about that in the hours since he learned about his daughter's choice. Following his sister's death he had fallen into a deep depression that nothing and certainly no one seemed to be able to get him out of. He was so intent on making Luca Malfoy pay for murdering his sister that he gave up on the one person that he cared the most for. Inconsolable grief and the loss of his first love drove him straight into the arms of the Dark Lord. While he did not necessarily agree with all of Voldemort's preaching and cleansings, he knew that he had to do something to keep his mind off of Speranza and Ursula.

"Anza just lost the wizard that she loves," Gwen said as if it were a revelation. "I was around her when she was in the first stages of grief. Nothing anyone did seemed to make her feel any better. She suffered great loss… the loss of love. Even though no one else believed that Charlie could have possibly survived that blast, she was fanatical about her insistence that he did not die."

"Are you saying that Charlie is responsible for her swearing ultimate loyalty to the Dark Lord?" He knew that her theory had merit, but he was still having trouble believing.

"Grief can make even the best person do stupid things."

"How would becoming a Death Eater make Anza feel better about Charlie's death?"

"I am not saying that it makes sense to someone who is thinking logically. Anza has not been thinking or acting like herself since the day of the explosion. Sean told me that and then I saw with my own eyes when I arrived. Her grief is making her do foolish things."

"Joining the Death Eaters is the most foolish thing she could have possibly done."

"I could not agree with you more."

Severus allowed Gwen's theory to take hold within him. Sadly it did make a bit of sense. When Speranza died he had never felt such helplessness and sadness. Keeping his mind occupied was one of the reasons that he joined himself. That and that stupid letter that Ursula sent him. Of course he would not throw that back in Gwen's face. This was neither the time nor the place. There would probably never be a right time to tell her that her letter calling him the most pathetic person she had ever met was the last straw before he took his own mark. That was not something he ever wanted her to know.

"You should not be alone in a room with Hermione Granger again," Gwen finally said, breaking the tension. "Especially not in such a way as I found you two earlier."

"Excuse me?" He was unused to receiving orders about who he could spend his time with, especially from her.

"While she may be of legal age, she is still your student for another year," she reminded him. "It is inappropriate."

"What is inappropriate?"

She looked at him incredulously.

"Do you really not know what I am talking about?"

"I really do not know what you are talking about." She was annoying him greatly. He had had a stressful evening and only wanted a few more hours of sleep.

"I am not the only one who has noticed, I can assure you."

"Noticed what?" He was not sure how much of her he could take. Being alone in a room with Gwendolyn Wakefield was nothing like being alone in a room with Ursula Albrecht.

"The way she looks at you."

"What? The way she looks at me? Damn it, _Gwen_, hurry and make sense or leave me in peace."

Gwen stood up from the stool. She put her hands on her hips, the same stance she used to take in their Hogwarts spats.

"Men can be so dense." She sighed. "That young woman is in love with you."

He could have laughed out loud at that news. Hermione Granger in love with Severus Snape? It was almost as ridiculous as a fish in love with a bird. In fact, before he could properly respond or even stop himself, Severus let out a loud, booming laugh. It was the first genuine laugh he had experienced in weeks.

"It is not funny," Gwen chastised him, before finally bursting into her own fit of laughter.

"Hermione Granger is in love with me?" He raised a single eyebrow at her before laughing again.

"In all seriousness, Severus," she continued. "There are some definite feelings for you on that girl's part. I am not the only one who has noticed the way she looks at you or speaks about you or rushes into this laboratory at every chance she gets."

"She is simply helping me with potions."

"Men can be so dense." She repeated herself and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Maybe you do not see it now, but give it time. Just please heed my advice. The last thing you need right now on top of everything is to be caught having an inappropriate relationship with a student."

"I would never do that," he firmly replied. "I have respect for all of my students and for the teacher-student conventions. I would never have an inappropriate relationship with a student. You should know me well enough to know that about me."

"I do know that in your mind you would never see yourself shirking your responsibilities… but I also know that your mind does not control your heart. If it did then everyone would be a lot smarter about love." She turned her eyes away from him as if expecting him to read her emotions. He was cognizant of other's privacy. Rarely, especially after that evening with Miss Granger getting upset at him for reading her, did he take such liberties.

"You… you should go back to Remus," he finally said, feeling awkward, yet relieved at the same time.

"Good night."

He nodded to her before he watched her disappear out the door. As he changed from his clothes into his nightclothes he found himself laughing once more. Hermione Granger was in love with him? And his daughter was a Death Eater? What a day that had been. He crawled under the covers of the bed still laughing quietly to himself. Right… he would wake up and find that he had only dreamed that entire day. There was no way that Anza was serving the Dark Lord and there was certainly no way that Hermione was in love with the bastard of a potions master who lived for six years to make her life miserable.

Severus slipped into a deep sleep with dreams of sinister tunnels with no lights and the ringing laughter of a woman he could never see in the dark.


	32. Chapter ThirtyOne

Chapter Thirty-One

A strange month passed for Severus stuck inside the headquarters. Not willing to think of anything he had recently discovered about his family or himself, he threw himself completely into potions. Work was what kept his mind occupied. If he was busy he did not have time to imagine the horrors his daughter was currently a part of nor could he think about her alone with Antonin Dolohov.

He could hardly believe an entire month passed. An entire month of isolation from not only the rest of the world but the rest of the Order, as well, including the residents living in the headquarters. His life was spent in one room, his meals brought to him by a kindhearted Molly Weasley who always got on to him for working too hard.

He no longer attended any of the regular Order meetings. Being surrounded by all of those people who knew what his daughter had become was too difficult. He saw the faces they made when he walked in to a room. He knew what they were thinking.

"Are you sleeping at all?" Molly asked in her mother hen tone. She had just delivered yet another meal to the potions laboratory.

"Yes, I am sleeping just fine," he lied in an effort to appease the woman. Every night he either dreamed he was stuck in a long, dark tunnel with no way out and no foreseeable end or he dreamed he was stuck in the same graveyard, forced to watch his daughter slip from him once more. He had not had a decent night's sleep in ages.

"What good will you be to the Order if you work yourself to death?"

"What good am I to the Order now?" He snapped at her. Indeed his incarceration was beginning to make him feel like a large cat pacing in a too small cage. He longed to stretch his legs.

Molly Weasley did not get an opportunity to praise Severus for all of the work he had already done for the Order. Nor did she get a chance to thank him for the potions that he continually brewed to keep the Order members healthy and strong. She did not get the opportunity because a very solemn Albus Dumbledore walked through the door. Still quite angry with the elderly wizard because he had not shared the news of his daughter's loyalties before he witnessed them with his own eyes, Severus could not bear to look the man in the eye. He bustled about the lab pretending to work on a blood-replenishing potion.

"Severus… may I speak with you for a moment?" Albus asked, realizing the man was doing all that he could to avoid him.

"I will just step outside," Molly offered, heading towards the door.

"You may stay, Molly," Severus said, though it was more of a demand than a request. He did not want to be alone with Albus at that moment… especially not when he was using that tone.

"Are you sure, Severus?" Albus asked, still using a cautious tone. "It is in regards to your daughter."

"Anza? How is she?" Molly had not stopped caring for the girl she used to almost consider part of her family. Everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before Anza married Charlie. She was as good as in the Weasley family. Since the announcement that Anza had taken the Dark Lord's mark… well, Molly had not given up hope that there had been some horrible mistake. She felt that turning against Anza was just as good as turning against her son's memory.

Albus did not immediately answer the question. At Molly's continued insistence he finally spilt the news he came to spill.

"Our source has provided us with some new information about your daughter, Severus," he said. "Among other things of course. We have learned a great deal about Death Eater movements, their guarding patterns, where they are located, as well as a few main plans that they are currently focused on."

"What about Anza?" Severus demanded, finally turning to face the wizard.

"She… she is to be married," he said quickly, as if saying the words quickly would somehow lessen their meaning.

A few silent, but tense moments passed in the room as both Severus and Molly took into consideration what the Headmaster of Hogwarts just told them.

"To whom?" Molly asked innocently, though her face paled at the thought of the young woman moving on so soon after her son's disappearance. She was the only one in the room who was unaware of the serious relationship Anza seemed to be having with a certain dark wizard Severus wished to the gods he could murder.

"Antonin Dolohov." Albus said the name in little above a whisper, but that did not keep Molly from hearing.

"WHAT! DOLOHOV!" She screamed, her tone shaking the room and making Severus want to run and hide far from her fury. "Charlie gone not but a few short weeks and she is ready to marry? How quickly she forgets the one she claimed to love so much! I am almost glad my precious son is not here to see how she is behaving!"

"Now, Molly," Albus began. "Anza did go through a very difficult time after Charlie's… accident. We all know that."

"Obviously she was not in enough pain if she ran off to marry that bastard Dolohov! He killed my brothers in cold blood! And now that little tramp is going to marry him? Thank heavens Charlie is not here to see this."

Severus did not get a chance to defend his daughter against the mad rants of Molly Weasley. She stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind her. A group of onlookers had gathered just outside the potions lab, but no one paid them any heed. Severus himself was quite floored by the news that he was unsure what to say.

"Are you positive, Albus?" He finally managed to ask.

"I am very sorry, Severus, but yes, I am positive. Our source would not lie."

"Who is this damned source of yours anyway! Why can you not tell me? Is it because you are afraid that we might learn that they are feeding you false information about my Anza?"

"I can assure you, Severus…"

"No, you can assure me of nothing! Has Anza been checked for the Imperius Curse? Because that would definitely sound like something that Dolohov would try just to get closer to her."

"Anza is not under the influence of anyone, but herself, Severus. She has proven that many times. Our source…"

"Damn your source! And damn you for believing their rubbish!"

Severus was angry and confused by what was happening in his daughter's life. That was the only reason that the great Albus Dumbledore allowed those words and his anger to go by. If anyone else had bothered to speak to him in that manner… well, they would not soon forget that lesson.

"I will leave you to your work then," Albus said as he headed towards the door. "Though I must remind you that you are expected at Hogwarts tomorrow. The new term will begin in just a few short days."

The door shut behind Albus in a much different manner that it did with Molly. Albus quietly closed it, leaving Severus to think on the announcement he just made. With all of his isolation and his work, Severus was unaware of the day. He had forgotten that soon another year would begin… another year fraught with goodness knows what. Now that he had been revealed as a spy he shuddered to think how he would be received by many of his own House.

No one told him that term was about to begin. He was thoroughly unprepared. Before most years he liked to arrive at the castle a full week before classes resumed to prepare. Why had no one reminded him? As soon as he wondered the question, he answered it for himself. No one told him about the beginning of the year because he had not allowed anyone near him for weeks. Following Gwen's warning about Hermione Granger, the curmudgeon thought it best that he not use her assistance in the potions lab again. While he still found Gwen's warning to be completely false and even a bit laughable, he was at last given an excuse to stop the interactions with Miss Granger. Too often he found himself divulging too much in her presence simply because something about her person made him feel at ease.

Of course perhaps no one reminded him about the beginning of term because they assumed that Professor Severus Snape, of all people, would know the exact moment the school year was to begin. Or maybe no one wanted to remind him that in only a short period of time he would once again come face to face with his daughter. Soon he would see his daughter enter her seventh and final year as a Hogwarts student. And he would know what choice she made… he would see her as a Death Eater, supporter of He Who Must Not Be Named. And… now he would see her as the future Mrs. Antonin Dolohov. Perhaps they were right to assume that he would not want to be reminded of what he would have to face in only a few short days.

* * *

Severus' removal from the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix was not met with any great ceremony… of that he was grateful. The few people he managed to meet in the corridor on his way to the front door wished him a good day, but past that… no one even noticed he left the house. Too often he spent his time cooped up in the potions lab for his absence to make any noticeable difference. Only one person made any kind of farewell to him.

"Are you off to Hogwarts, then?" Gwendolyn Wakefield asked, stopping Severus in the Entrance Hall of Number Twelve.

"Yes, I am." He was still not comfortable speaking with the woman. Often he wondered if there would ever come a time when he did not want to run from a tiny conversation with her. She as a woman was so different from the girl she used to be. Severus found it unsettling and truthfully a bit sad. She had not done anything to deserve what life threw her way. She should have been able to live out the rest of her days with the name Ursula at least. She should not have had to run away from her homeland because a dark wizard wanted her dead or because she was carrying the child of another dark wizard. Despite his fervent efforts to the contrary, Severus often wondered what she would have been like if he had not been so foolish as to throw her away when he was eighteen. How different would he be? How different would their lives be?

_"With ifs a flea could carry an elephant."_

Speranza used to say that to him as a child when he tried to consider how things could have been different. She hated 'what ifs' and tried to teach her younger brothers to live with what they had and not dwell on what could have been.

"Have a good term then," she said with a smile. "Though I expect I will see you before it ends."

He nodded to her in farewell as she held the front door open for him. Albus left a portkey for him a few blocks away from the house. The headmaster did not want to risk anyone in the Ministry asking too many questions about why the potions professor needed a portkey in a neighborhood that had no wizards. While Albus Dumbledore was effectively in charge of the Ministry, he knew there to be spies within the walls. It might be very easy for someone to tip Voldemort off to where the resistance was located. He thought it best to leave a crushed soda can only a few yards from the home of a respected, but reclusive wizard.

Severus relished the freedom he suddenly found as he walked the streets of London. The walk itself was quite short, but considering the young wizard had been stuck in a house for an entire month without seeing the sun, it was quite a treat. He found the crushed soda can at the designated moment. All of his life he hated to travel by portkey. There was something unnerving about it. He hated the feeling he got in his stomach when he traveled that way. But… he took hold of the can steadily to prepare for his return trip.

The grounds of Hogwarts castle had never looked so ominous to Severus as they did the moment he arrived. In the still morning light shadows were everywhere. Every tree, every shrub made a dark figure that made Severus wonder if returning to Hogwarts was indeed the best idea. He was not a fearful man, that fact must be presented at once. As his past actions proved, he was not one to run from danger or a situation that others in his position might flee from. In truth he found that he could endure a meeting with the Dark Lord a lot better than he could endure a shouting match with Molly Weasley. His time in the Headquarters gave him a new respect for all of the children of the Weasley clan… the twins especially.

"Hello, Father."

Severus whipped around, his wand outstretched, to see his daughter standing at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He arrived just outside of Hagrid's cabin. Finding Anza standing there was shocking to say the least. He had not seen his own daughter since the day he discovered her to be a Death Eater.

Anza certainly seemed different. He might not have recognized her if she had not called him. When she first returned to Britain she found that she hated her auburn hair that reminded her so much of her mother. She asked her aunt to cut her hair and help her to dye it a raven black to match her father's. Now she returned to her natural color and had stopped cutting it. Her auburn curls hit right at her shoulder. She reminded her father of her mother… a fact that he wished he never thought. Anza had always worn robes of great cut and fashion. Her mother's fashion sense had undoubtedly rubbed off on her. She always wore fashionable, but fairly simple robes. Now she wore elaborate and certainly much more expensive robes. She was asserting the fact that she was a legal witch, a woman able to make her own decisions. Even her clothes told him that.

"You should not be here, Speranza," he said in a warning tone, though to be truthful simply seeing her did his heart good.

"Are you afraid Old Bumble is going to find me and cart me off?" Her tone was scathing and the smirk she carried on her face was unlike anything he had ever seen on her. Severus did not like his daughter… or at least this person she had morphed into.

"What do you want, Anza?"

"To bring you something." She turned for a moment to retrieve a case a few feet behind her. Handing the case to her father, Severus found a hissing and snarling Basmus within. "You two always seemed to like each other… or at least get along. And every time Antonin walks into a room Basmus hisses at him and tries to scratch or bite him."

Severus knew he always liked that cat. He took the case and immediately the cat began to settle down.

"Am I to understand that the information I received about you is true?"

She smirked that damned smirk again. For the first time in her life, Severus felt violent towards his daughter.

"Now what information would that be, Father dear?" She asked in a mocking, too-sweet tone.

"You are to be married?"

She chuckled in a manner similar to the way Marina used to chuckle at him when she was about to tell him something she knew he did not want to hear.

"Yes, I am. Antonin asked me last week. We are planning for an autumn wedding. It will have to be private of course. The damned Ministry is still searching for him after his last prison break."

"Are you certain this is what you want, Anza?"

"Have you ever known me to do something I did not wish to do, Father? Marrying Antonin is my decision. No one forced me to make it."

His theory that she was under the influence of the Imperius Curse was finally disproved. It was not Anza's insistence that finally made him realize that she had the power to make her own decisions. Years of experience dealing with people put under the influence of the curse had given him insight in how to detect and deal with it. Anza was clearly not under the curse.

"What made you change your mind so quickly?" He asked, spitting the words out venoumously. "Only a short time ago you were professing that you would rather spend one hour with Charlie Weasley than a hundred years as Mrs. Antonin Dolohov."

Anza's eyes narrowed and her face hardened.

"Charlie is no longer an option," she spat back bitterly. "Remember?"

"So you decide to honor his memory by moving on with a dark wizard who not only killed his uncles, but very well could have been the instrument in his own death? Hardly a great honor, Speranza."

Anza did not say a word to that remark made by her father. Certainly she seemed to process all that Severus said to her… and she did not take it well.

"I only came by to give you Basmus," she finally said. "And to tell you that I will not be returning to Hogwarts this term."

"Why not?"

"I have had enough schooling under the likes of Albus Dumbledore, thank you very much. Besides, I am a legal witch now. I do not need to learn anymore. It is not like any more lessons are going to improve me any more. I know enough already."

"Are you certain about that?"

"I know enough already," she replied. "And now my duties and responsibilities need to be focused elsewhere. As Antonin's wife I am expected to stay in the manor and to care for our children."

The scene from his dream of a very pregnant Anza flashed through his mind. He had to know… but he certainly did not want the answer to be yes.

"Are you going to have a child?" He asked, his voice little above a whisper.

"Our _future_ children. Right now Antonin and I both feel that we need to wait for events in our world to settle down a bit before we have children. We need to wait until the Dark Lord triumphs and the world belongs to our kind."

Severus involuntarily shuddered at the thought of not only a world controlled by Lord Voldemort and wizards like Dolohov and Lucius Malfoy, but he also shuddered at the thought of any grandchildren that might come out of any union between his daughter and Dolohov. What kind of life would they lead? What would they be like? A hundred questions concerning the future of his family swirled around in his head.

"I must be going now, Father," Anza said brightly. "There are a million things I need to do to prepare. Next week I am finally going to move out of that drafty old manor of yours. Antonin and I are moving into a beautiful home in Wiltshire."

She moved closer to her father and smiled.

"Are you not going to wish your only daughter a farewell or a pleasant journey?"

To oblige her, Severus leaned down to kiss her cheek. Before he knew what was happening Anza pulled him into a warm embrace. She put her arms around his midsections and buried her face in his robes. It was the same innocent kind of affection she used to show her father as a young girl. Severus almost felt he had gone back in time fifteen years until he realized he was not holding a young girl, but a young woman. Anza held him for a period of time that felt close to an eternity.

When she finally released him, her father thought he saw tears in her eyes. There was no time to be sure. She rushed from him as if she only just that moment learned that he had a deadly contagious disease. Anza headed back into the forest. A few feet in she turned to look at her father once more.

"Hunger drives the wolf out of the woods."

She did not give Severus time to ask her what her words meant before disappearing completely from the forest.

* * *

Severus was not prepared for the arrival of the students two days later. As he sat in the Great Hall watching the parade of new first years, he thought of a million different things he would rather be doing at that moment. At least the first years did not have any opinion of him yet. They would in time, of course, learn to either fear him or hate him. There were enough students in the hall who hated him enough already.

His gaze headed towards the Gryffindor table. Yes, there was the one table he could expect to find more than a handful of students who loathed him. In the middle of the table he caught the eye of a rather irritated Harry Potter. Both wizards exchanged looks that could be read as nothing but pure abhorrence. Somehow Severus knew there would never come a time when he would get along with Mr. Potter… and he found that that fact did not bother him greatly. Seated next to Harry was Hogwarts' new Head Boy… Ron Weasley. Everyone expected that Harry, as Dumbledore's favorite, would be picked as Head Boy that year. Even Severus was all right with the decision to make the youngest Weasley son Head Boy. His colleagues expected him to put up a fight against Weasley, but he shocked them all into agreeing.

Severus' eyes wandered to the young woman seated across the table from the aforementioned Gryffindors. Hermione Granger was Head Girl… that was no surprise to anyone. From the Know it All's second year onwards Severus knew that she would one day wear that badge. Since Gwen's revelation, or in his opinion, joke, of earlier in the summer, Severus did not find himself alone with Miss Granger again.

Gwen warned him about having an inappropriate relationship with a student. He did not believe that there was even a possibility of any unprofessional relationship. He respected Miss Granger as a student within the castle walls. Outside of them he considered her a great help in his potions lab.

The month after Gwen's conversation with Severus, Hermione was never alone with the professor for very long. She would enter the potions lab and a few beats later Sean Wakefield would enter right behind her. He never seemed very comfortable about being in the lab with the professor and Hermione. No doubt his mother was the one who made him. That certainly seemed like the very thing she would do. All in the name of keeping Severus' reputation intact… even though he did not fear his own reputation. But nonetheless Hermione, Severus and Sean would work together on potions. Their visits came less frequently as Severus became more withdrawn, but while they were there, Severus appreciated their help.

Sean was remaining in the Headquarters. His exact role within the Order was a mystery but somehow Severus got the feelings the work he did was very important. Sean was often called in on secret meetings with Albus and Alastor Moody. The young man quickly recovered from his crush on Miss Granger. Before the summer was finished, Mr. Wakefield had already begun a secret relationship with a young woman who obviously made him quite happy.

"A few start of term announcements," Albus Dumbledore said, his voice booming across the Great Hall as the last first year headed off towards the Ravenclaw table.

Severus did not listen to the announcements, but let his gaze settle on the empty plate in front of him. Albus was naturally speaking about some very serious issues affecting the school. At least fifteen students were killed over the summer holidays along with their families. The year was already beginning on a tragic note. How many more students would receive their official notices this year that their families were murdered, as they were safe inside the castle walls with Albus Dumbledore as their protector? Sadly the potions professor knew that a great many of his students would be further affected with tragedy. Their world was a nightmare… and many of them were going to witness that firsthand.

"Our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been delayed. I have been assured that she will arrive before our meal is complete. Until then… tuck in."

The previous year's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had come under the same curse as his predecessors. McClaggen lasted the entire year, but he was so unpopular as a professor that many parents owled to complain about him. The Headmaster liked the eccentric man personally, but could not dispute that he was often responsible for placing the students in harm's way. He was asked to resign at the end of the previous June.

Of course Severus had applied for the post. He submitted his request only a few moments after McClaggen submitted his formal resignation. And once more in his career Severus was praised for his excellent work in the potions field and his request denied. He had heard nothing about the new DADA professor, only that she was obviously a woman and quite familiar with Dumbledore. Severus looked to the empty seat on his left that should have served as her seat at the High Table.

"Miss Anza is not to return this year?" Poppy Pomfrey asked from behind Severus once the feast began. After surveying the Slytherin table for her former charge and then speaking in a hushed tone with Sophia Vector during Albus' many announcements, the healer wanted to hear from Anza's father firsthand.

"No, she will not be back for her seventh year," he replied bitterly, still quite angry that his daughter would give up on her education like that. Even in a time of war one did not have an excuse for refusing to better themselves.

"Why not? Is she all right?"

"Eventually you will find this information out for yourself, Poppy," he sighed. "Perhaps it is better you heard the truth instead of a collection of half truths. Then you and Sophia can stop your speculating."

He looked down the table to the Arithmancy professor. She had been looking in their direction, but once caught by the man himself, Sophia looked away quickly, her cheeks flushed.

"Anza is going to be married in a short time. She felt her energies were best used in her husband's home then in the classroom." His words dropped with acid. He was still quite angry and confused with his daughter's decisions.

"But Charlie Weasley is dead," Poppy replied in a confused tone. "I read all about the horrible accident in the _Daily Prophet_. My heart broke for Anza. She used to speak to me about him last year."

"Obviously she is not going to marry Charlie Weasley."

"Who then?"

Sometimes just coming straight out and saying what needed to be said without sugar coating was the best course of action.

"Antonin Dolohov."

The news took several strained moments to sink into Poppy's consciousness. Once they did, she looked back at Severus with wide eyes and a pale face.

"Dolohov? The murderer?"

"The very same, I am afraid."

"But you are her father. Can you not stop her?"

"Poppy, I believe that you are quite familiar with my daughter's tendency to do whatever she wishes and not to take advice from those who know better or have more experience."

Madam Pomfrey said nothing more, only returned to her seat next to an eager Sophia Vector. Severus looked over to see a scandalized Poppy reveal all that she had just learned.

"I take it this spot is reserved for me?" Severus heard a familiar voice say behind him.

"I should have known it would be you." He did not mean for his words to come out of his mouth as they did, but Gwen ignored him nonetheless. She sat down in the vacated seat and began to fill her plate.

"Please forgive my tardiness," she replied sardonically. "I had matters to attend to in London."

"The girl I knew would not have made such a dramatic entrance. She would have come into the hall quietly while she waited for the Headmaster to call her name. She would not have created up this mystery and left the school waiting for her."

"The girl you knew, Severus, is no longer alive. Do I have to remind you of that again?" Her voice was bitter, but he could hear a touch of sadness in her tone.

They both fell silent and continued to eat their meal. There were a thousand things that needed to be said between them. There were twice as many questions to ask. As time went on and they found themselves in each other's company yet another time, there were more mysteries and more unanswered thoughts and questions. It was unnerving to say the least. That was precisely the reason why Severus spent so much time in his potions lab while living at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and that was precisely the reason why Gwen sent her son to make certain that nothing untoward happened between Severus and Hermione. Neither of them could stand to be in the other's presence for very long.

"It seems that our newest professor has finally arrived," Albus announced to the raucous hall. Immediately the room fell silent as they all took in the form of their DADA professor. "Professor Gwendolyn Wakefield has just returned to her home country after years of living in the Elphick wizarding settlement in Belgium. Please welcome her to Hogwarts."

The hall rang with the applause of the hundreds of Hogwarts students and their teachers. Gwendolyn was quite embarrassed of the attention. At least one thing about her had not changed all that much from their youth, Severus thought. She turned a bright red as she gave a little wave to the congregation. Eventually the applause died down and everyone returned to their meals.

Severus found his gaze headed towards his own House table. All of the familiar faces were there with the addition of the twenty or so new Slytherin first years. He found himself inadvertently searching the rows for his own daughter. When he caught sight of Gregory Goyle sitting across the table from Daphne Greengrass and Millicent Bulstrode, but no one seated on either side of him, he remembered his daughter decision. Gregory looked sick… not at all like the bulky young man he had been only a few short months before. Something about him had definitely changed. Even Severus could see that seated so far from him.

The Head of Slytherin House had never seen a cockier Draco Malfoy… if one could believe that truth. Draco sat amongst his 'minions' laughing and lording over the Slytherin table. Severus always knew that a seventh year Draco would be a difficult monster to deal with, but he had no idea how bad he would actually be now that he was so confident that his father's Dark Lord was going to win the war. Severus shuddered to think what a single lesson with that spoiled brat would be like. As he was imagining the attitude he would receive from the young wizard, Draco caught his former mentor's eye. He smirked that devilish smirk he inherited from his father and raised his glass to the professor. It was a mocking action no doubt. Well… Severus would make certain to make that child's potions lessons a living Hell from there on out.

"Have a good evening, Severus," Gwen said formally as she rose from her chair at the end of the feast. Students were steadily emptying out of the hall towards their respective dormitories. "As you can expect I have a full day ahead of me tomorrow. I must go get some rest."

"Good evening, Gwendolyn."

Severus did not immediately head down to his private quarters in the dungeons. His mind was racing too much to allow him to settle down for the evening. What he desperately wanted was a long walk through the grounds. Walking in the night air always calmed him down. As he crossed by the greenhouses he had an overwhelming urge to enter them. Usually he stayed away from those glass buildings. The memories of them were so strong.

"Good evening, Professor Snape."

Severus snapped around quickly, his wand outstretched ever ready for danger. He sighed dramatically when he saw that the person who had spoken his name was not a dark wizard intent on killing him, but Miss Hermione Granger.

"What are you doing out on the grounds so late, Miss Granger? I should remove points from Gryffindor."

"Technically, sir, I am not breaking any school rules. Curfew for seventh years is ten o'clock. It is only nine. The grounds are not off limits at this hour, especially when the Head Girl is sent on a task by the Headmaster himself." She was sharp in her tone, obviously not in the mood to deal with sarcasm or anger.

"What are you doing?" He asked again, though his tone much softer.

"Professor Dumbledore asked me to get some herbs for him from the greenhouse. A personal request from the Headmaster is not easily dismissed."

Neither one of them said anything for a brief moment. Severus was only too aware of how close Hermione was actually standing to him. Noticing it herself at about the same moment as he, she stepped back from him.

"'Hunger drives the wolf out of the woods,'" he said aloud though to himself. He was still dwelling on the words that his daughter spoke to him earlier in the day. For some reason standing with Miss Granger brought the memory of her words back.

"What is that, Professor?" She seemed thoroughly interested in what he had to say.

"I trust you will keep what I am about to say to you a secret, Miss Granger," he said quietly. When she nodded her head in affirmation, he continued. "A few days ago when I first arrived at Hogwarts Anza was waiting for me in the Forbidden Forest."

"She was? Is she all right? Her worry and anxiety over the girl was plain.

"She appears to be just fine. Right before she left she said those words to me. I do not know what they mean."

Hermione obviously did not understand them either. She thought for a moment, but neither of them came up with anything.

"If you will excuse me, Professor," Hermione finally said. "I need to retrieve these herbs."

"Of course."

Severus found himself walking into the greenhouse area after Hermione. He was not following her, only going in a similar direction. Before he realized what he was doing or where he was going, the wizard found himself standing in front of the door that led to his and Ursula's private courtyard. Years had passed since he had gone anywhere near there. He was just about to turn around and head back to the castle when he heard the unmistakable sounds of crying coming within. He pushed open the door to see what was happening.

Gwen was seated on the very same stone bench they drank their bottle of mead on. Her face was hidden in her hands, her body shaking with sobs.

"Gwendolyn? Are you all right?"

She immediately sat up straight on the bench and pretended that she had not been crying.

"Severus, what are you doing here?"

"Believe me I had no intention to return here. I was just on a walk when I heard crying coming from in here. Are you all right, Gwen?"

He moved closer to the bench, memories rushing to hit him in the face. That was the place where… where… he did not wish to remember one particular event. It was too painful.

"Today has been quite a day," she admitted. "I did not realize what being back here would be like. I did not imagine it would be this hard."

"Why is it hard?"

"I cannot help but think of the past… of the years I spent here as an innocent child." She dropped her eyes. "I cannot help but remember what life was like here with you. It is a strange, sad feeling to remember what can never happen again."

"I do understand what you mean." He sat next to her on the bench silently.

"Cordelia knows."

"What?" He was completely shocked by that news. "How?"

"I was in Diagon Alley today trying to get some last minute supplies. Most of my belongings are still in Belgium. There were some necessities I required to teach my class."

"Congratulations on your post," he said, and he meant it.

"Thank you."

Gwen dabbed at her eyes with a clean handkerchief.

"When I was in Flourish and Blotts I heard a woman gasp. I turned around to see Cordelia staring at me, as pale as a ghost. She must have thought she was seeing once. Before I could explain anything or say a word at all, Sean walked up to me. She looked at me, then looked at him, then looked back at me. I could not even explain anything to her before she said, 'He is Rabastan's child.'"

"What did you do?"

"What on Earth could I do? I left as quickly as I could. The very last person I want to know that I have returned and have his son is Rabastan Lestrange. Can you imagine what would happen?"

"Does Sean know who is father is now?"

Gwen burst into another fit of tears.

"I wanted to shield him from the truth, but I couldn't! He knows. And Cordelia knows. It is only a matter of time before Rabastan finds my son and tries to take him away… or hurt him."

Her sobs got louder. Severus pulled her into his arms so she could cry on his shoulder. That action seemed to only make her sob harder. He was at a loss of what to do. Clumsily he patted her back.

"Everything will be all right, Ursula." He said the words without thinking.

"Ursula?"

Hermione Granger, always one to stick her nose where it did not belong, stood in front of the couple with a look of both confusion and fear on her face.

* * *

_A/N: Of course we all know what is happening this Saturday! I am so excited! My goal was to completely finish this piece of fiction before the arrival of the sixth book, but I am not entirely certain that will be possible. The next few days I will be writing as fast as I can, but please bear with me if it is not finished before the 16th. Thanks again to all of my reviewers! You truly make my day. -Lila_


	33. Chapter ThirtyTwo

_A/N: Obviously it must be addressed that the last chapters of this fanfic will not be in canon. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was wonderful, naturally, but unfortunately my ramblings do not fit anywhere near the actual Rowling story (though Percy did return to the Burrow at Christmas) :). Certain events, especially pertaining to Severus were disconcerting, but I have not lost faith in him. As Humanity74 wisely wrote in her review of the last chapter, "Sometimes, especially in the world of magic, things are not always what they seem." I have my own personal theory of what the actual events were… perhaps when I finish this story I will write it. But… as I have had Of Troubled Minds and Stolen Pensieves planned out since before the release of The Order of the Phoenix, it will continue as I planned. Forget all canon as you enter into the world in which I play. Hope you still continue to enjoy it though:) - Lila_

Chapter Thirty-Two

"Ursula? Who is Ursula?"

Severus immediately broke contact from the sobbing Gwendolyn. Without understanding why exactly, he had the sudden urge to stand up and move from the weeping woman. Gwen did not stick around much longer. Obviously more horrified and embarrassed by the situation than Severus, she rose from the bench almost as quickly as he had. Without a word she disappeared out of the secret courtyard… for the first time in more than a month allowing those two to be alone.

"What is going on here, Professor?" Hermione's voice was quiet, but the man could hear the intensity behind it.

"Professor Wakefield was upset," he replied in a similar manner that a child caught stealing a cookie by an adult would reply. Severus did not look her in the eyes. His own gaze settled just under her chin at her neck… her neck. He shook any additional thoughts he had been having out of his head. "Gwen found her return to Hogwarts difficult."

Hermione's deep brown eyes were as cool as steel. She was not satisfied with his answer.

"That much was apparent," she said coldly. "What did you do?"

He was immediately insulted by the insinuation. Finally his eyes met Miss Granger's hard look. She stared at him, waiting for an acceptable response to her question.

"I did not do anything!" he answered indignantly. "Why do you always assume that I am responsible any time someone near me is upset?"

She raised a single eyebrow at him.

"I do not believe I need to even answer that question."

Damn it, she was right. He was often responsible for tears and angry words.

"If I was the one making her cry," Severus said in a scathing tone. "Why then was I the one comforting her?"

Hermione naturally had no response to that. Her facial expression returned to normal and even her body language softened. But… she still looked fearful and confused. Nothing about the situation she just walked in on put her at ease.

"I overheard part of your conversation," she admitted sheepishly. Her gaze dropped down to the extraordinarily long line of buttons on the professor's frock coat.

"That much I gathered." Though he should have been furious and humiliated that the young woman found him in such a way discussing certain things, Severus strangely felt relieved that she had. How very odd.

"Ursula," Hermione said. "You called her Ursula. You called Gwen Ursula. Why?"

He exhaled a long breath.

"This is not the best time or place for this discussion, Hermione," he said without even registering the informality between the two of them. "You should return to the castle."

Hermione did not budge an inch from her spot on the ground.

"Why did you call her Ursula?" The moment the words left her mouth realization dawned on her face. Hermione's eyes widened. "Ursula Albrecht. Is Gwendolyn actually Ursula Albrecht?"

Years had passed since Severus heard anyone say her full name. Coming out of Hermione Granger's mouth was strange. But… his frustration with her impertinence was a much more potent emotion at that moment.

"How is it that you always know so much?" He was not paying her a compliment.

"I read a lot." Her eyes dropped to the ground.

"I read a lot as well, but I do not know as much as you seem to." Again his words were not meant to be taken as a compliment.

"Anza and I were talking late one night in the library," she admitted, moving across the courtyard so she could place herself on a vacant stone bench. "She asked me a lot of questions about my parents… what they were like, how they met. Simple questions really."

"And you asked her questions about her own parents?"

"I will admit that I was quite curious. We all were."

"All?"

"Yes, almost everyone I spoke with. We all wondered what your wife was like. You do not strike many as one open to sharing your life with another."

Severus could not bear to look at her. Something in her words embarrassed him. Why did she always have to say exactly what she was thinking? It was a trait he was grateful few possessed.

"And did Anza speak to you about my wife?" Despite himself he was curious to know.

"Anza often spoke of her mother." Again her eyes dropped to the cobblestones. "Of course she never had kind words. Her mother sounded like an awful person. I was quite confused to hear that. Marina did not sound like the kind of woman you would marry."

Severus was honestly quite interested to hear what kind of woman Hermione thought he would marry, but he knew that this was not the conversation. They were discussing Gwen, or rather Ursula.

"It was an arranged marriage," he freely admitted. "Marina and I had a miserable, arranged marriage. My parents and her guardian were quite old fashioned in their ways. All of the Snape children, with the exception of my youngest brother Sidonius, had their marriages arranged for them. Well, to be honest, Sid was slated to marry Lucinda Malfoy, but decided to go against the family wishes."

"Anza did not tell me the marriage was arranged. Only that it was miserable and short. Your daughter told me that when her mother was angry she would often bring you up… and her time as your wife."

This was news to him. Severus had always assumed that Marina did all that she could to not think of the man she used to share a bed and a name with. Certainly he tried to do all he could to erase her likeness from his memories.

"I am stepping out of my bounds," Hermione said, her cheeks flushed. "This is none of my business. I should stop."

"Whether or not something was your business has not stopped you from discussing them before, Miss Granger."

The young woman immediately felt ashamed of herself. Unfortunately she knew he spoke the truth. She knew she had a rather bad habit of being too nosy and inquisitive. It was something she had struggled with her entire life. It was also something she was working on.

"Anza once told me that her mother used to say terrible things about you when had too much to drink." Hermione wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She could not imagine why she was saying those things… especially to him. Something about him made her say more than she would usually.

Hermione was not the only one shamed by his earlier words. Severus felt the overwhelming desire to curse himself once those words left his mouth. Why did he always have to say what he was thinking? And why did he always have to think such thoughts? He certainly did not mean to be so callous and rude. Any mention of Marina often put him on edge. If it were possible he would not have minded removing all memories of that woman from his mind… except to forget Marina he would also be forced to forget Speranza. In spite of her dreadful choices of late, Severus was not willing to forget his daughter. He knew the time would never come when he denied Anza… even though her future husband was using all of his power to rid the world of his soon to be father-in-law.

"I spoke too harshly, Miss Granger," he finally said. "Please accept my apologies."

Hermione was still quite unused to apologies from her potions professor. She highly doubted that a time would ever come that she would not find his words of contrition awkward.

"You had every right to say what you said," she consented. "Given my prior actions. I do often tend to seek out information that perhaps I should just leave alone."

"We could all be accused of curiosity. It should not be considered a crime."

Again Hermione found she could not believe his words. What had changed between them? What had turned him from the horrible, greasy git who seemed to thrive on making her life and the lives of her closest friends miserable? Where was the man who often insulted her teeth or her hair or her insatiable thirst for knowledge? Something had definitely changed between them. But… of course she had to remember that much in his life had changed. He was not the same person. Those facts provided her with a bit of comfort. He was not doomed to live a horrible existence preying on the weak.

"Marina used to throw Ursula's name into her rants," Hermione quietly admitted. Her eyes were locked firmly to the ground. She was not certain what she would do or say if she was forced to look the man in the eye at her confession. "She used to tell Anza that her father was an extremely powerful, dark wizard who once loved the Minister of Magic's daughter. She also used to blame Anza for Ursula's death."

"Why would she blame Anza?" He was furious to know that his ex-wife would blame anything as horrific as a murder on their daughter. What kind of person would do that? Especially to a young girl?

"She said that while she was pregnant with her, Anza's 'stupid visions' were passed on to her. She mentioned a meeting with a wizard once when she had a vision of Ursula Albrecht in a foreign country. The wizard heard where she was hiding and killed her. Anza said that she felt guilt about that… well, always."

"Surely she does not blame herself for that?"

"Marina apparently has a knack for making one believe anything awful about themselves… part of her charm."

Ahh… yes, he had forgotten. Or rather he had forced himself to forget that dreadful woman's manipulations. All at once the professor felt extreme sorrow and pity for his young daughter. How dare Marina blame her when it was obviously not her fault? How could a mother of a Seer really blame their children for any visions that they had during their pregnancies? How could… then he found himself wondering something quite serious.

"Anza claimed that she did not know she had visions until that night at Number Twelve." Certainly that had been what she claimed the morning after her prophecy about the dementors.

For yet another time in their conversation, Hermione found she could not meet his eyes. She knew something about the girl she considered one of her closest friends that her father was unaware of. Several moments passed with her debating within herself before she felt that Severus had a right to know.

"Anza has always had visions. She just did not like to tell anyone that she did."

"She has always had visions? She told me that she never had before."

"I am afraid to tell you that she lied. Anza was too embarrassed to freely admit… especially after that night. That experience left her quite humiliated."

Certainly Anza's actions of the morning after the dementor vision proved she was humiliated beyond measure of the scope of her powers. How many people her age could claim to foretell the future? How many had convulsed violently in front of a large group of strangers to speak in an otherworldly voice of death and evil? Few, of course, could claim what Anza could. No wonder she was so keen on keeping her visions and prophecies a secret. A Seer's powers were widely valued commodities. They were often the target of violence and abductions, especially when dealing with the darker side of wizarding society. Severus shuddered at the thought of Sybill Trelawny lying in the middle of a forest dead, her eyes long since removed from her body. Perhaps that was precisely the demise that Anza did not wish… and perhaps the exact reason why she tried so hard to keep her powers secret.

Thinking about his daughter and her fate, created a wave of nausea within Severus that he did not really want to share with Hogwarts' Head Girl. He needed to steer the conversation away from Anza. Thinking about her was still quite painful.

"No one must know that Professor Wakefield is actually Ursula Albrecht," Severus finally said. "Do you understand that, Miss Granger?"

"Of course."

He knew that he could trust the young woman with that secret. She might not understand everything that was going on, but one thing must be said for Hermione Granger, she did as she was asked… when she trusted the person of course. And for a reason that he did not quite understand, Hermione trusted him completely. That much was obvious.

"She could be in a great deal of danger if anyone was to find out her real identity," he continued. "She and Sean both could be in great danger."

"I understand, Professor. I will not tell anyone."

Hermione walked away from the professor without another word. Nothing more needed to be said, he felt. Something in him that he could not quite understand or grasp made him trust Miss Granger implicitly. He might not have always liked the Know-it-All troublemaker, but he had always respected her… from the moment she first raised her hand in her first potions lesson. All of her classmates had been too nervous to answer questions, or rather they simply did not know the answers. She had never been afraid to do what was expected of her or ashamed of all she knew. How many young witches tried to hide their intelligence? Severus could never understand why so many of his young female students felt they had to disguise how gifted or smart they were. Did the young men actually feel intimidated by intelligence? Perhaps they did… it was certainly not something he ever wanted to understand.

As he watched Hermione Granger disappear from the secret courtyard where he had spent so many happy hours with his first love, Severus found he no longer had any desire to remain within those ivy covered walls. Giving Miss Granger some time to make her exit ahead of him, Severus silently followed her retreating form towards the safety and warmth of Hogwarts Castle.

* * *

Severus knew he was going to have to muster up all the strength and will he had within him to do what needed to be done. How many times in his life had he gone headfirst into danger because that was exactly what needed to be done? He knew what was right… he knew what was expected. Danger he had faced most of his life. He could willingly apparate into an area where he knew the Dark Lord was going to be. He could face the Cruciatus Curse. He could walk right into danger and certain death. He could do all of that… but why was he afraid to walk into his own classroom? 

In his career at Hogwarts two dismal classes always managed to stick out in his mind… well, dismal is perhaps the wrong word to use. Two classes stuck out in his mind where he had been frightened to enter. His first class of his entire life, when he was first given the position by Professor Dumbledore, he stood outside the door of his classroom trying to settle his nerves. Sidonius, his younger brother, was in his first lesson. Severus could have handled the first lesson of his career with a little more finesse if he had not been so acutely aware of his baby brother seated only a few feet from him… watching, waiting to see what his brother was going to do.

Then the first lesson of his daughter's first day at Hogwarts, Severus knew that he was going to have to steel himself. Anza was seated in the back of the room next to Neville Longbottom; Severus saw that much when he opened the door a crack before entering. For several long moments waiting in the corridor Severus argued with himself. How was he going to treat his daughter? Would he clump her together with her fellow Slytherins and give her preferential treatment? They would all be expecting that of course. Everyone, especially the blasted Gryffindors, would expect that the girl calling herself Anza Velousova, though clearly she was truly a Snape, would be treated far better than even Draco Malfoy. Severus did not wish for his daughter to get by simply because of who her father was. She needed to prove herself. That was when he made the decision to accost her with questions at the beginning of the lesson. He assumed that she would impress them all with her knowledge of potions. Instead… well, he tried to shake off those memories.

For a third time in his long career at Hogwarts, Severus was again quite nervous to enter his own classroom. On the first day of lessons, Professor Snape was to face the seventh year N.E.W.T level Advanced Potions class. Normally he was not nervous to enter a room of seventh years… especially considering those students were all too familiar with the particular way he ran his classroom. Normally he was able to enter without a second thought to it and immediately begin teaching them the first potion they would need to know on their final exams. This year, however, he groaned inwardly thinking about Draco Malfoy sitting in the room. He would almost unbearable this year, especially considering Severus had been exposed as a spy. What would the youngest Malfoy do now?

"No time like the present," Severus muttered quietly to himself before swinging open the dungeon door dramatically. All conversation in the room ceased as he swept to the front of the classroom. "As you all are undoubtedly aware, you will be sitting for your Potions N.E.W.T. this year."

Groans could be heard all over the classroom. No one wanted to think of that exam, especially not on the first day back to classes.

"I will be expecting all of you to scrape up an Acceptable N.E.W.T at the very least." Severus could hear whispering coming from the Slytherin side of the room. He did not even need to tilt his head to be certain who was making the noise. "Is there something you wish to add to the discussion, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco Malfoy merely smirked that horrid smirk he had inherited from every male member of his family. They certainly knew how to irritate Severus immeasurably. One twitch of the lip and a Malfoy could bring Severus to rage instantly. Never before, at least not since the Welcoming Feast the night prior, had Draco ever reserved that smirk for his Head of House.

"Sorry, _sir_." He was not in the least bit sorry he was disrupting the class. "Crabbe and I were merely discussing the fact that there will be no need for anyone in this room to take that blasted exam at the end of the year."

Severus was prepared for this.

"And why is that, _Mr. Malfoy_?"

"Half of the room will be dead…" Draco sneered at the Gryffindor students. "And the other half will be reveling in the world under control of the Dark Lord."

Murmurs of horror and even of agreement spread across the room. No one was particularly surprised to hear what Draco said… only surprised that he would say such things in front of the professor.

"Isn't that right, sir?" He was trying to anger the professor… of that Severus was certain.

"Kindly return your attention back to your textbook, Malfoy," Severus warned, "I will not tolerate interruptions in my class again."

"Now you see, _Professor_, I do not really see why I should have to follow any of your instructions anymore. After all… we all know what kind of blood traitor you turned out to be."

Severus had expected this kind of reaction from Malfoy. From the moment he first thought what returning to Hogwarts the next term would be like, he thought of the welcome he would receive from the Malfoy heir apparent. Certainly it was just like this… only somehow worse. He had distinctly expected much worse behavior from the young wizard. Frankly, Severus was disappointed.

"Yes, a great deal has changed since last we all gathered in this room, but one thing has indeed remained the same. You will all treat me with the utmost respect as your teacher and especially as your Head of House, Slytherins." He gave the left side of the room a warning glare. "While you are students within this castle, all of your personal beliefs and loyalties are unimportant. You are here to learn to become qualified witches and wizards. I, nor will any of the other staff members, tolerate the kind of behavior we witnessed last term. Keep your opinions and allegiances to yourself, treat the staff and your fellow students with respect, and pay attention in class."

No one seemed in a hurry to argue with the formidable potions master. Somehow they all got the feeling that he was not one to trifle with… even if they did not know the exact circumstances of which Draco Malfoy was droning on about. Many of them also wondered where Miss Velousova was… and why her father had not even seemed to mention her absence. Anza was by far not the only student to not return to lessons at Hogwarts that year, but she was one of the conspicuous missing students.

"Turn to page 34 in your textbook," Severus ordered. There was an immediate flurry of activity around the room as the students opened their texts. "Begin brewing the potion immediately. You have one hour."

Of course Severus was not surprised to find that Draco Malfoy was the only student in the room not following his instructions. There were other Slytherins of course, who seemed torn between whether they should listen to their professor or not, but at least Crabbe and Pansy Parkinson were feigning work. Draco merely leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and smirked.

"Twenty points from Slytherin," Snape barked when he saw this act of obvious defiance. "And you will meet me in the dungeons on Saturday morning for a detention, Malfoy."

Draco merely smirked again.

"Make that for the next seven Saturdays."

That damned smirk once again. Finally, Malfoy reluctantly opened his textbook and began to gather his supplies for his potion. Several agonizingly tense moments passed within the confines of the dungeon classroom. Severus desperately wished he had some fire whiskey to calm his nerves. He discouraged the use of alcohol to calm, but often had to resort to its power. Since the return of his daughter to his life, he stopped drinking alcohol almost altogether. He found spirits not to be to his liking. Now that Anza was far from him, living a life apart from him once more in her life, he felt that his nerves deserved a bit of whiskey.

"How is Anza, sir?" Draco asked casually. The students in the room almost immediately stopped working. They were all curious to know what was going to happen next. "Haven't seen her yet. Oh, that's _right_. She's not coming back to school this term."

Severus wanted to perform more than one Unforgivable Curse on the Malfoy brat. He felt his hands tense up at his sides, his jaw set. He could only imagine what he was going to say next.

"Of course no one blames her for not wanting to return to the castle," Malfoy continued. "Of course she would not want to be associated with her father… her blood traitor father."

Severus wished he could punch Malfoy in his pale, pointed face. Not even the "Chosen One" Harry Potter or his father had ever instilled this kind of anger in the man. Of course the Potters had always been smart enough to not speak of Anza in a disparaging matter… at least to his face.

"How I used to hate your daughter, _sir_." He was still pretending his respect for the elder wizard. "Thought she was a bit off. Cried all of the damn time."

The professor caught sight of Gregory Goyle's infuriated face. He looked ready to pounce his former "boss".

"Hooked up with a Weasley too," Draco spat. "Shows obvious low taste."

Both Harry Potter and Dean Thomas leapt from their seats to hold Ron Weasley back. There was no mistaking Ron's obvious desire to injure Malfoy.

"How quickly she forgot him though," Draco chuckled. "But I guess whores like her move on quickly.

Before Severus had a chance to choke the life out of Draco Malfoy himself, Gregory Goyle and a newly released Ron Weasley ambushed a now whimpering Malfoy. Both boys showed him no mercy, punching him brutally in the face and kicking him in the side. When Nott and Crabbe tried to come to the assistance of their friend, they found themselves hit with well-timed Impedimenta curses from Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan. As Pansy Parkinson screamed for the professor to put a stop to this at once, she suddenly found herself unable to speak. Severus looked in the direction of Miss Granger to see her immediately stow her wand away in her robe pockets.

Finally, determined to resume some semblance of order to his classroom, Severus aimed his wand at the two young men still attacking Draco. With a nonverbal incantation and a flick of his wand, both Ron and Gregory were hanging in the air upside down. They looked as if ropes were tied to their ankles, suspending them from the rafters. At the sight of this kind of magic from their professor, most of the students in the classroom rushed to their own seats.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Severus said, carefully lowering the two boys from their positions in the air. Both Gregory and Ron rushed back to their tables, completely red in the face. "Another interruption from anyone else, I will be forced to take drastic action."

"Professor…" whined a bleeding Draco still lying on the floor.

Severus aimed his wand at the wizard still desperately trying to stand on his own.

"Silencio!" Sparks flew out of the professor's wand deeming Malfoy unable to speak. "Does anyone else have something they wish to say?"

Naturally all mouths remained closed.

* * *

An almost blissfully peaceful first week of classes passed for Severus. He was settling back into his familiar routine within the castle. Students, even those aware and disgusted by his betrayal of He Who Must Not Be Named, said hardly a word in his lessons. A repeat of his seventh year potions class was not required to keep everyone in line. Before the first of classes ended, every student and staff member alike was familiar with the actions in the dungeons. Even word of the humiliating manner in which Slytherin's favorite golden boy was handled made news. 

Severus was even finding himself tolerating the presence of a rather infuriating Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Still quite shaken and mortified by the condition in which she was found the night of the Welcoming Feast, sobbing in the private courtyard where so many privately intimate moments were created with her first love and present colleague, Gwendolyn steered clear of Severus for a few days. To his surprise, Professor Sprout occupied Gwen's seat next to him for several meals.

Certainly remembering her once favorite Herbology student for who she actually was and most willing to keep her secrets, Pomona was more than happy to help the newest professor. She remembered, of course, the young romance that had flourished between the two their last year at Hogwarts. How many times had she accidentally come upon them in the greenhouses when they thought they were alone? Too many to count. She joyfully separated the professors until such time that they were willing to be together under their own terms.

"How is Remus, the dear doing?" Severus overheard Pomona ask Gwen one evening in the staff room. Strangely he found himself not uncomfortable with eavesdropping on the two witches' conversation. "I always did like him, both as a student and as a professor."

"He is working hard," Gwen admitted. "Too hard." She sighed quietly to herself, an act that did not go unnoticed by either Severus or Pomona. Remus had already returned to living underground with others like him now that Gwen was safely tucked away inside of Hogwarts. His duty, his promise to Dumbledore to discover all that he could about the werewolves and doing all that he could to persuade some of them quietly to join the other side, was not complete. Though he hated to return, especially since he would have to break contact off with both Gwen and Sean, he knew that the cause was what was important most of all.

With a sweet, but knowing smile, Professor Sprout did not push the issue further. She, like everyone else in wizarding Britain, knew the toll that Voldemort's war of terror was taking. She knew that there were missions that could not be discussed, plans that could not be explained.

"How is your son doing now that you are both back in Britain?" Pomona felt it was safe to change the subject.

"He seems to be flourishing here," Gwen said, smiling at the thought of her son. She reached into the inside pocket of her robes to retrieve a photograph. "This was taken just a few weeks ago."

Sean Wakefield smiled broadly in the photograph. He stood proudly, waved, then pulled a reluctant Remus Lupin into the frame with him. Always a bit uncomfortable taking photographs, Remus tried to escape, but Sean simply used his youth and his larger arms to hold his 'father' in with him. Pomona smiled warmly before returning the photo to Gwen.

"What handsome men you have," Pomona sweetly exclaimed.

Gwen smiled a teary smile at the woman who was still very much her favorite teacher. Her watery eyes fell back to the photo. Another quick look at the two men who meant the world to her, and she stowed the picture to its place inside the safety of her pockets.

"Where is Sean staying with you at Hogwarts, _Gwen_?" She was still having trouble not calling her former student by her true name.

"He is staying with the sons of a friend of mine. I am sure you know Arthur Weasley. He was a great admirer of my father and one of only a few Ministry workers who had any faith in me when I worked there straight out of school."

Pomona raised a couple of inquisitive eyebrows at that information.

"And which of the Weasley sons is he staying with?"

"The twins, George and Fred. Do you remember them?"

The kindly Herbology professor let out a loud, booming laugh that surprised all of the current inhabitants of the staff room… none more so that Gwen.

"Do I remember Fred and George Weasley?" She laughed, wiping great big tears from the corners of her eyes. "They are not a pair easily forgotten."

"You have not honestly left your only child in the influence of those two?" asked an amused Minerva McGonagall.

"Sean helped them with some of their products this summer," Gwen said, clearly unaware of the twins' reputation. "They offered him a position working to open their second store in Hogsmeade. He lives in their flat with them."

Chuckles spread throughout the room at that bit of knowledge. Everyone seemed to know about this pair, except for Gwen.

"Are you going to explain to me what is so funny?" She used an accusing tone for the congregation, but of course, they were all aware she was simply jesting.

Before she was even aware, Gwen began to hear the stories of the Weasley twins' exploits throughout their years as Hogwarts students. Every member of staff had their own collection of stories concerning the duo. They all took turns reminiscing on their personal favorite Weasley Twins moment. Only Argus Filch skulked in the background cursing the thought of the brothers who caused him great stress during their school years. With each story, each story that Gwen had difficulty believing, she began to wonder if her son staying with that pair was indeed the best course of action. Long after she had sufficient fear the worry about the son she was going to find when she saw him next, the stories continued. Minerva, who as Gryffindor Head of House had to endure most of their antics, described one story after another for the group. Most of them roared with laughter at the memories. The most popular memories, the ones that received the greatest amount of laughs, had to be of course, the fireworks and the swamp from the twins' dramatic exit.

"Perhaps I should have asked a few more questions about my son's flatmates before I agreed," Gwen finally said. The group around them dispersed, each staff member going off to their own corner of the room or leaving altogether.

"No doubt Molly is hoping that your son will exert some positive influence over her own sons," Severus replied.

Gwen turned around to smile up at the potions professor.

"Speaking of questionable tactics…" She smiled again, for the first time in a long time feeling herself quite comfortable in his presence. "Have you honestly taken to jinxing Draco Malfoy into complete silence before every lesson?"

Severus was naturally not going to admit that openly. He was not going to turn himself in.

"Wish I could get away with it sometimes," she quietly whispered.

It seemed that the two were going to be able to finally have a friendly conversation. Years had certainly passed since that openness and ease passed between the two. Severus moved to sit in an armchair closer to Gwen. Sensing what was happening, that the professors were not in need of any more separation for the time being, Pomona wordlessly vacated her own seat.

"How have you found Hogwarts since your return?" Severus asked, genuinely concerned to know how she was faring.

"Much of it has changed," she replied thoughtfully. "But then much of it has remained exactly the same. I would imagine that certain aspects of the school will never completely change."

They were interrupted by the arrival of a post owl in the middle of the room. Normally even the teachers received their mail at breakfast. It was most unusual that they were given their letters outside of the staff room. A large brown eagle flew over Gwendolyn, dropping parchment into her lap. With a shaking hand she opened it… her great fear seeming to be realized. Her wide eyes scanned the paper before she let out a loud scream. Dropping the paper to the floor she jumped from her seat to run from the room. Severus hastily picked up the letter.

_Welcome home, love. Hear you have something of mine. –Rabastan_

Severus ran after Gwendolyn, fearing what she might do next. When he could not see her in the corridors, he ran towards the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore always knew what to do.

"Acid pops!"

Taking the stairs three at a time, Severus arrived at the door to the circular office in record time. He was about to force open the door when he heard a very familiar voice on the other side.

"I am very sorry, Headmaster. I cannot do it anymore."

"I understand, Anza. Please sit down."


	34. Chapter ThirtyThree

Chapter Thirty-Three

Seeing his daughter seated in an armchair willingly across from the wizard she claimed to hate above all others greatly confused Severus. He wanted the Headmaster to know immediately that Professor Wakefield had run from the castle with the obvious task of finding her son. Of course she would be walking into a trap. At the very least someone was watching the gates of the school prepared for her exit. If Severus came face to face with Cordelia once more… But laying his eyes on the form of his precious daughter seated quite comfortably and if not entirely at ease, at least not fearful, pushed all other thoughts out of his mind. What was Anza doing there?

"I tried, Professor Dumbledore," Anza said, her voice cracking with emotion.

"You did a great deal more than simply try, Anza," he replied in the gentle, grandfatherly tone he always used with that particular young woman.

Albus Dumbledore cared a great deal for Miss Snape. Her childish laughter ringing through the stone corridors used to gladden his heard even on the most trying day. Years earlier he and Minerva McGonagall assured the younger Professor Snape over a dinner in the staff room that the mere presence of an innocent child would do all within the castle walls good. Certainly the mere sound of little Anza living there made him smile. And that rabbit of hers… he always chuckled at the thought of Bumble. When Anza was feared dead and Albus knew her father wanted to close everything of hers from his view, the Headmaster took his color-changing namesake into his own care. The day Bumble finally succumbed to old age was a hard day indeed.

"No, I did not do enough," she exclaimed in an anxious, frustrated tone.

For yet another time in his life, Severus did not announce his presence. He wanted to know exactly what his daughter was talking about … but he did not want to scare her off.

"Forgive me for disputing you, Anza, but I must…" Dumbledore began.

"There is no use, Professor," a third voice said out of Severus' viewpoint. Immediately he recognized the deep, accented tone of Sean Wakefield. "Little Sparazaqua is not willing to listen to reason."

Sean crossed from his place in the room to squat down in front of Anza. He put his hands on her knees gently and looked up into her eyes that Severus felt for sure had to be filled with watery tears.

"Anza, Charlie is dead," he said quietly. His voice was pleading, begging her to believe him. As it happened, Anza pushed Sean's hands roughly from her causing the burly wizard to lose his balance. He would have fallen if not for exceptional reflexes.

"I refuse to believe that!" She screamed. "If Charlie was dead, I would know. Love is the most powerful magic that exists. He is not dead."

Each of the wizards listening to her, two in the office, one standing in the shadows unseen just outside, bowed their heads and sighed. None of them believed that Mr. Weasley could have survived the explosions in Diagon Alley. His survival was damn near impossible. Why did Anza continue to cling to these false hopes? Severus feared that her obsession would cause her even more pain in the long run.

"And what is it that Hermione says?" Anza continued, unabated by the actions of the two men in the office with her. "Sometimes things are not what they seem to be… especially in the magical world."

"Despite your protests, I believe that you have done a great deal for the Order," Dumbledore said, apparently aware that Anza was not going to give up on Charlie.

"I am very sorry, Headmaster," she said once more. "But I cannot do it anymore."

Albus Dumbledore sighed, but it was not a defeated sigh. He acted as if he expected her to do exactly as she had done.

"I cannot handle it anymore," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "Every time he touches me I want to die."

"No one asked you to go that far, Anza!" Sean exclaimed. "No one asked you to form any kind of relationship with Antonin Dolohov. That was your decision."

"I know…" Anza was crying again. "Antonin is so well connected and ranked high in the Death Eaters… and he does love me in a strange, fixated sort of way. He had information and access to information that I could never have hoped to attain on my own. I had to find out what happened."

"You whored yourself out for information about a man who is dead, Speranza!" Sean was furious, but something in his behavior made it obvious that he was not furious with Anza. He was furious with the circumstances. He loved Anza with the intensity that brothers often love their younger sisters with. His concern was for her well being. While his words were harsh, he could not have loved or wished to protect that young woman any more than he did. That was the only reason why Severus did not curse the wizard where he stood.

"A man is at his most vulnerable when he is also at his most intimate," Anza replied quietly, deep red patches of blushes creeping up her neck.

"More pearls of wisdom from your mother, eh?" Sean was angry and frustrated. For months he had felt helpless and weak. There was nothing he could do to stop Anza from pursuing her relationship with Antonin Dolohov. He saw the destructive downward spiral his adopted sister was living in… and there was nothing that he could do. A man who could not protect the women he loved was worthless in his opinion. And according to Sean Wakefield's personal opinion of himself he was the most worthless man alive.

"I foolishly thought that Antonin would tell me what he knew about Charlie's accident if I got close enough," Anza admitted, fresh tears staining her pale face.

"Did he tell you anything?" Albus asked curiously. He was about as angry as Sean was… he simply had learned how to control his anger. If Sean lived to be half as old as the Headmaster he would also learn to control his emotions. This was a lesson only time and experience could teach. Albus knew Dolohov by more than simply his reputation as a dangerous murderer and Death Eater. As the wizard's former teacher he was quite familiar with him. Perhaps that was the reason the elderly wizard hated to even imagine Anza anywhere near him. She deserved a great deal better than Dolohov. She deserved to be protected from horrible men like him.

"He told me a great deal," Anza admitted. "It did not take me long to learn exactly what it took to get him to speak."

None of the men wanted to hear her say that. When she saw the looks on their faces, she suddenly got very embarrassed.

"Fire whiskey!" She exclaimed. "After only a couple of drinks he was quite free with his speech. He was the one who told me about the planned raid on the Fawcetts."

They were all glad to hear that alcohol was Anza's weapon. How very awkward each of the men felt. This was the moment that Severus chose to make his presence known. Pushing the door open wordlessly, he crossed the office in only a few, long strides.

"Is there a reason I was not informed of this meeting?" He was quite curious to understand what was happening. As of that moment Severus only had pieces, speculations, theories. He wanted the full truth.

"Father!" Anza jumped from her chair, desperate to give her father a warm embrace. Severus steeled himself against the petite witch's forceful grasp. She buried her face in the folds of her father's robes. In no time at all she was sobbing loudly in the material. "I am so sorry, Father! I never meant to hurt you."

He summoned all of his strength to comfort his daughter. The tighter he held her, the harder she sobbed. Several minutes passed without a word being spoken. He knew his daughter had been through an ordeal. Simply looking at her he could see the numerous burdens that had been thrust upon her tiny shoulders. His heart broke for her lost innocence, for the need to mature beyond her years. She should not have had to live the life she had.

"I want to know everything, Albus," Severus finally said once Anza had calmed down considerably.

"And you deserve to know everything," the Headmaster replied. With a flick of his wrist two chairs appeared next to the chair that Anza vacated. Anza returned to her previous seat. Sean and Severus sat down on either side of her. "I am not even sure where to begin."

"Start at the day after my father was discovered as a spy," Anza demanded, obviously aware of where the story began.

"Yes, all right. I had a feeling that after the incident at your family manor that that was not the last we would heard from the Death Eaters on that matter," Albus said though there was no need. Of course everyone in the room already thought of that. "The next evening I arrived at your manor to check on Anza… to make certain she was all right. Obviously it was expected that the previous day's events were difficult for her. Amos Diggory informed me quietly how his department was called on to clear away what happened in your home. The loss of so many of your family's house elves in such a way was deplorable."

"Professor Dumbledore and I had a heated discussion," Anza added to the story. "He was not thrilled with what I proposed."

"What was that, Anza?" He left no doubt in his daughter's mind that he wanted the complete truth.

"I further offered my services to the Order."

All at once something was made clear to Severus. The source… Albus and Alastor's damned source… for a short time he wondered if Sean Wakefield might actually be the spy. How often had he seen the young man enter a private room with those two? He tended to disappear from the headquarters at certain times as well. But… it was obvious now that his daughter was the source.

"You asked my daughter to spy for the Order? You asked her to become a Death Eater?" Severus was furious to say the absolute least with his mentor. How could a man who claimed to care so much about Miss Snape actually ask her to put her very life on the line for the cause?

"_I_ did not ask Miss Snape to do anything," Albus quickly replied. "I believe her exact words were 'I am going to join the Death Eaters to find out what I can. Do you wish for me to tell you what I learn?' Well… naturally I tried to dissuade her. It was a very dangerous assignment to be certain. But… she is like her father, not easily persuaded to do what she does not wish to do."

The entire story fell from the three mouths seated near Severus over the course of a half hour or so. Only a few hours after leaving the manor on the evening of the massacre, Antonin Dolohov returned to call on Anza. Naturally suspicious of his intentions, Anza allowed him in anyway. They spoke for several hours about what was to become of her now that her father was discovered as a traitor. She could not still show any affection for the man who was responsible for her life. Her own life could be forfeit if she did not speak against her father. Anza carefully and painfully recounted the important bits of the previous months… starting with the first evening with Antonin Dolohov.

"I am not sure what you expect from me, Mr. Dolohov," Anza said, wringing her hands nervously in her lap. Oh, yeah, she knew what he _wanted_, but what did he truly expect from her?

"You must be aware by now that it is only because you have certain _allies_ that you have not been murdered because of your father's insolence," Dolohov said, seating himself entirely too close to Anza on the sofa for her to be comfortable.

"Allies? I assumed that because my name is Velousova that makes me untouchable." She tried unsuccessfully to move away from the domineering wizard. He only moved closer.

"Your name certainly does help you in that area," he replied. "Though that is not the only thing that saved you."

Anza felt sickened being so close to this man. Dolohov eventually, after several visits to the manor, persuaded Anza that she should take her rightful place in the Dark Lord's circle. She would be welcomed because of her family… and because she would wish to expunge herself from her father's reputation. Anza, as she explained to her father, felt that by joining the Death Eaters she would become privy to information regarding what actually happened the day of the explosion that killed Charlie. She wanted to know who was responsible… she wanted to know if it was possible that he might still be alive somewhere.

Despite being in the Inner Circle and enjoying the benefits and punishments that come with that status with the Dark Lord, Anza did not learn a thing about Charlie. It seemed that everywhere she turned no one would answer her questions. No one wanted to bring up that day though she felt certain that the act had all the markings of the Death Eaters. So… she decided to form up a more personal relationship with Antonin Dolohov. There she did not go into too many details, but to be honest, no one really needed her to. The man basically lived in the manor with her and then they lived a short time together in a home not far from Lucius Malfoy's family home. They were engaged to be married. Their relationship was not a secret.

But… even being that close with Dolohov did not provide her with the answers she desired. Thankful that her mother had given her stringent Occlumency lessons when she was a young girl, Anza was able to spy for the Order. Several times a week she met Sean Wakefield in an undisclosed location where she passed imperative information on to him. He would then transmit her messages and information to Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody. For months the only friendly face Anza ever saw was Sean's. She cut off all contact with all but the most fervent Death Eaters and their families. She even stopped associating with Gregory, though it broke her heart to do so.

For a young woman who had come to value family and friends so highly, she found it terribly difficult to be away from the ones she loved. Occasionally she saw her uncle Sidonius, but his grief over the loss of his family and his subsequent association with Lucinda Malfoy Grunnion and her friends changed him remarkably. He was not the same carefree overgrown child with the crooked smile. Because it broke her heart again to see her uncle in such a state, she quickly broke contact off with him too.

The summer months passed with her living a dangerous double life. She spied for the Order, provided details and plans that even Severus would have had difficulty providing. All through this experience the one thing she wanted to do was go home. She wanted to curl up next to her father on the sofa as she had done a hundred times. She desperately longed to get out of the situation she was in, but because she knew that her work was valued and important to the resistance movement, and because her greatest desire was to see the world void of Lord Voldemort, she persevered. Until… until she knew she could go on no longer.

"Bloody good spy I was too," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Lasted only a few months."

"What happened, Anza?" Albus asked the girl gently. She had yet to explain fully the reason why she had decided not to spy any longer.

"I cannot do it anymore, Professor. It is too hard."

"You should never have had to do it in the first place!" Severus was angry with himself that he was not able to shield his daughter. What good was a father who could not protect his own children?

"I thought I could find Charlie… I thought that I could…"

"Would Charlie be happy to know that you risked your very life to join dark wizards and witches?" Severus demanded, feeling certain that only honesty, pure, straight honesty would aid his daughter at that moment. Though he did not believe that Charlie was alive and he hated that his daughter was driving herself crazy and into dangerous situations in pursuit of that dream, he knew that Charlie's thoughts and feelings was a card he could play.

"No…" she said little above a whisper. "But…"

Severus temporarily forgot that he and his daughter were not alone in the room. For a few moments he needed to be a father… as brutal as that could be at times.

"You are seventeen years old, Speranza," he reminded her. "Your job, your purpose in life is not to rid the world of evil or to right past wrongs. Your job, your goal should be to finish your schooling. Once you have completed your N.E.W.T.s you can start this mission you seem intent on."

"Father…"

"It is not your responsibility to do all of these things you have appointed yourself to do. You certainly do not need to risk your very existence by aligning yourself with the Dark Lord. How incredibly foolish you were… and selfish too!"

For once Anza was not crying. She knew that every word her father spoke was true. They were harsh to be sure, but she needed to hear them. Her entire life she had been expected, by her dung beetle of a mother that is, to take care of herself. No one, until she was reunited with her father, took care of her or fought her battles for her. It had been nice, she remembered, to not have to worry so much about her safety or any of the number of worries a teenager should not have. It had been nice to know that he father was looking out for her. She felt deeply ashamed that she had tried to do everything herself. That was not the lesson her father taught her, despite all of the times he tried to fix everything in his life by himself with no help.

"This morning started off as any other morning," Anza quietly said to the assembled group. "I woke up, prepared breakfast for myself and Antonin, read the _Daily Prophet_ over coffee. We talked about an article in the paper. Nothing terribly exciting or interesting to be honest. Before I realized what was happening, I burst into tears. Antonin was beside himself to get me to stop. He cannot abide it when I cry. I think I finally just said that I could not do it anymore. That I wanted to go home.

"I ran out of the house and Apparated to the manor. Of course he knew where I was going. He was there a few moments after I demanding that I return to our home and explain myself. Something in me snapped, I guess you could say. I just could not handle him touching me another moment. I could not handle the thought of spending another moment with that man. He seemed to understand that I was breaking off our engagement though he did not clearly understand why.

"I went out for a long walk around the grounds. A few hours later I returned to the manor to find him standing in the kitchen, my packed bags in the room with him. We fought again when I told him that I was not going to go back with him. He threatened me. Said I made a promise to marry him… that I was almost as good as his wife already. He said that he would not let me go without a fight. I screamed at him to leave the house. He did. Then I Apparated into London."

"She could not see the Headquarters, of course," Sean explained. "She wandered up and down the street for at least an hour before I finally returned from Hogsmeade. She told me everything that happened and I thought it best that we come here. Dolohov is serious in his promise. He will do whatever it takes to get Anza to marry him. Has he not already proven that?"

"Yes, I am afraid he has," Severus said quietly. "What are we to do, Headmaster?"

Albus thought for several long moments. This was not a simple problem with an immediate solution.

"Obviously Anza must remain in the castle," he finally said. "We can protect her here with the wards surrounding the grounds. Anza, it is imperative that you do not stray. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Headmaster," she replied feebly.

"Will the Order be informed that Anza acted as a spy?" Severus asked, hoping the answer to be yes. He did not wish for those people to believe the worst of his daughter. Suddenly he thought of Molly Weasley. She was the last person he wanted to believe that Anza was a traitor. He remembered his last exchange with her… the evening she found out that Anza was to be married. "Molly Weasley needs to know at once… at the very least."

Severus did not hear the door to the office open a few moments before he said those words.

"I already know, Severus."

Molly Weasley entered the room. She immediately crossed to embrace an exhausted Anza. Nothing in her seemed to be upset or confused. Indeed Severus was the only one in the room who appeared to be the least bit confused.

"You knew?"

"Of course," she smiled a half smile at the potions master. "Albus felt it wise that Anza have a woman to talk to through all of this. He knew that she did not need to be alone."

"You knew that her engagement to Dolohov was a farce?" She nodded. Severus was deeply impressed. "You are a convincing actress, Molly."

"When you have the number of children I have, Severus," she replied. "You learn a great deal about hysterics and dramatics. Perhaps one day you will have the pleasure of more children to know that."

Molly helped a weary Anza up from her chair. It had obviously been a very taxing day for the young woman. With all of the care and grace of a mother with her favorite child, Molly began to guide the woman from the office.

"If you will excuse us," she said to the room. "I am going to take Anza to get settled into her room down in the dungeons. She needs rest right now."

Of course no one impeded them. But before she left the room completely, Molly turned around with a grave face.

"Gwen is waiting down at the bottom of the stairs, Albus. She has had quite a night, I am afraid. I will send her up."

A rather worn and dirty looking Gwen entered the office a few minutes later. Immediately her eyes fell on her concerned son. He, like the Headmaster, was unaware of the frightening note she received earlier in the evening. And no one else, Severus, included, knew about the harrowing experience she went through the moment she stepped outside of the Hogwarts' gates.

But at that moment none of it mattered. Gwen let out a sob when she saw Sean. She rushed to her son to throw her arms around him. Sean deftly comforted his sobbing mother.

"I was so worried," she said finally.

"I am all right, Mum," Sean calmly responded. Severus felt sadness prick his heart at watching this scene. Like his younger cousin Gregory, Sean had obviously been forced in his lifetime to comfort his mother a number of times. Their lives had apparently not been easy ones.

"Of course you are," she said, pulling away from him with an embarrassed smile. "I should not have been so foolish."

"What happened, Gwendolyn?" Albus asked. He was unaware of any of the evening's adventures.

She was at a loss for words. Remembering the note he still had in his pocket, Severus handed the parchment responsible for the madness to the Headmaster.

"It seems that Rabastan Lestrange has been informed that Ursula has returned to Britain very much alive and… and that she has brought their son."

"Their son?" Albus asked, but immediately wished he had not. No one told him who Sean's father was until that moment. The elderly wizard had wondered, naturally, but once he learned that Sean was neither a Lupin nor a Snape he was at a loss. He was ignorant of Ursula's relationship with Lestrange. "Ahh… Mr. Wakefield is Rabastan's son?"

Gwen nodded wordlessly. Sean shifted uncomfortably where he stood. His mother finally told him the entire story of her relationship with the wizard he now knew to be his father following their encounter with his Aunt Cordelia in Flourish and Blotts. Gwen did not give many details about the man, but Sean found a wealth of information about his father in back issues of the _Daily Prophet_. He was admittedly not proud of whom his father actually was… but nonetheless he was intensely curious.

"Is he the reason you are in this state, Mum?" Sean was referring to her clothes and to her emotions.

"I should not have been so foolish," she said again, lowering herself into an empty chair. "When I read that letter I immediately thought that my boy was in danger… I knew that I had to get to him before his father found him. After hearing about the Weasley twins, it became only clear to me that they were probably well known outside of this school as well. And if my son was associating with them… well…"

"Mum, I can take care of myself," Sean assured her, both in an attempt to calm her nerves and in a show of independence. "I am a legal wizard now."

"And a formidable one at that," Albus added, giving the young wizard a warm smile.

"Some day you will understand, Sean," Gwen continued. "You will know that even though you see your child as an adult capable of taking care of themselves, you still feel the need to protect them as if they were babies. This is not an instinct I know how to turn off."

"Sean has been with me for the past couple of hours," Albus informed his Defense professor. "He has been in no harm."

"Of course I should have come straight here the moment I received that note. Of course it was a trap… intended to get me out of the castle. How foolish I was!"

Gwen covered her tear-streaked face with her hands. Reaching into his robe pocket, Severus offered her a clean handkerchief. She took it without looking into his eyes. She was very much embarrassed.

"What happened, Gwendolyn?" Albus finally asked after giving her several moments to collect herself.

"When I read Rabastan's words I feared for Sean's safety, naturally. Without even thinking that this could be exactly what that horrible man wanted me to do, I ran from the castle… ran out of the castle grounds, straight into him…" She shuddered at the thought. Fresh tears ran from her eyes, quickly dabbed at with Severus' handkerchief.

"Lestrange was waiting for you?" asked a concerned Severus. He did not imagine that Rabastan himself would show himself outside of the castle. He imagined of course that any number of other Death Eaters might be stationed outside of the gates prepared for her flight.

"Yes…" Gwen closed her eyes, tears continuing to spill out of the corner of her eyes. "The years have changed him… I almost did not recognize him. Azkaban apparently did not sit well with him. He was so cold. His eyes had no warmth in them at all."

Severus could not remember a time in his entire life that he thought Lestrange had an ounce of warmth in him. He had always seemed to be cold and distant from others. Gwen had obviously seen an entirely different side of him during their months long relationship so many years earlier. Certainly she had had to have seen some kind of goodness in the man… otherwise she would not have pursued him in the first place. She was not a person to go after darkness. It was not in her nature. Everything about her screamed against the dark.

"Sean, honey, perhaps you should wait outside," Gwen suggested, sensing their conversation was going to go in a direction she did not want her son to be privy to. "I do not want you to hear this."

"No," he adamantly refused. "This man is my father. I will hear what he did to you, Mum. I will not leave."

Gwendolyn was familiar with her son's stubbornness… he had inherited it from his mother. Knowing that he at least had a right to know something about the man who was partially responsible for his existence, Gwen allowed him to remain. But… Severus could not help but think that perhaps she had censored the telling of her story just a bit for her son's sake.

"Was he alone?" Albus asked. "Was anyone else with Rabastan?"

"No… at least not that I was immediately aware of," she replied. "He was awful… very unlike the man he used to be."

Gwen gave a quite detailed account of the evening's events.

"Well, well, well," came a voice from the shadows. Gwen tried to run when she became too aware of who was speaking to her, but before she was able to move an inch, an invisible force kept her rooted to the ground. Rabastan emerged from the dark to smile a sinister grin at her. "If it isn't Ursula Albrecht. I never imagined I would see you again."

Though she could not move, Gwen found she had not lost the ability to speak.

"And I never expected to see you again, Rabastan."

He moved closer to her… too close for her comfort.

"You never did say a proper goodbye to me, Ursula." He touched her cheek; an act that greatly repulsed her.

"As I recall you were ordered to kill me… and my family. Hardly a good time to wish you farewell."

"Yes, well, orders were orders. Believe me when I say that I tried all that I could to spare your life."

"Oh… well, in that case… I guess that makes everything better. You _tried_ to keep me from being murdered."

Rabastan grabbed her arm forcefully. He pulled her close to him until their faces were but mere inches apart.

"And why did you not return when you learned that you were carrying my child?" He demanded. "I could have protected you then!"

"Somehow I did not think that this would be the best environment to raise a child in!" She spat the words back at him. "My son deserved more."

"More than what his _father_ could provide for him? You chose poverty and exile when you could have raised him in one of the wealthiest and most respected wizarding families in the world?"

"Money is not everything. Influence is not everything. Sean deserved more."

"Sean?" He smiled a weak half-smile. "Does not exactly sound like a Lestrange…"

"You will find, Rabastan, that _my _son is nothing like a Lestrange."

"You had no right to keep my son away from me!"

"I did not want him raised with that sort of influence. The only thing that makes him your son is his blood… and that is not important at all."

"Blood, my dear, is what is most important."

Gwen struggled to get out of his grasp, but between his spell and his grip, she found she could do nothing. She knew that she had been imprudent. She should have talked to someone before running out of the castle like an idiot. Of course the note was a trap. She should have been able to spot that right off. Silently she prayed that someone would find them. This was not how she wanted her life to end… because she saw that glint in Rabastan's cold eyes. She knew she would not be able to get out of this situation easily.

"I thought of you every day I rotted away in that prison," he said quietly. "Every day I remembered the day I went to the Ministry and could not find you."

His voice was full of what Gwen could only describe as sadness… but she had difficulty believing that he would have any kind of feeling like that. Rabastan Lestrange had been changed… not only by years locked away in Azkaban guarded by dementors, but by his years of service to the Dark Lord. Nothing in him seemed to be entirely human. That thought made Gwen sick… and a bit scared.

"When you see _our_ son next… tell him he is always welcome to come to his father's house." Rabastan returned to his angry, baleful self.

"So… so are you not going to kill me then?" She asked, timidity evident in her shaking voice.

Rabastan reached up to stroke her cheek gently.

"I have no orders to kill you," he answered. "And it would seem a waste to let a thing of beauty like you go to waste."

Gwen let out a sigh of relief. She was waiting for that fateful raise of the wand and the Unforgivable Curse she had always feared.

"But… before I let you go, I think it is time that you show me that proper farewell you should have given me eighteen years ago."

Gwen stopped her story there. Her eyes fell to the floor. Her silence proved what Severus was thinking through most of her story; she was censoring the story for the sake of her son. Albus and Sean both could tell that there was more to the story as well, but to Gwen's credit, her son did not press the issue further. Severus' eyes fell to the teaching robes that Gwen had taken to wearing since her arrival to the castle. There were great big rips down the side of them… and in several places it looked as if she had tried to repair them with charms. She had never been very good with the 'reparo' charm. It did not take a genius to figure out what kind of 'farewell' Rabastan had demanded of her. Thankfully, for her sake, Severus was the only one in the room that noticed.

"I have to go to him," Sean said to the silent room after several moments.

"What?" Gwen was unsure she heard her son correctly.

"Now that Anza is… well, now that she is no longer able to spy for the Order… I have to do something," he answered. His pleading eyes met Albus'. "I am needed, aren't I?"

"Absolutely not! Completely out of the question!" Gwen was furious to hear her son's suggestion.

"I am needed, Mother! You said so yourself that my father is looking to meet me… that he has invited me into his home. Who else will be given such an open invitation into the home of one of the most influential…"

"And dangerous!"

"…Death Eaters? I have to do this. If for nothing else than I need to know my father."

"Your father is not a good man!"

"Just like you, Mum, I did not get to choose who my parents were," he replied rather harshly… though he immediately felt guilty. "I am going to meet my father… and I am going to meet the rest of my family. You kept me away because you feared for my safety. I understand that. I even appreciate it, but Mum, I am an adult now. I need to do this."

Gwen found after several more attempts to persuade her son to stay as far away from his father as humanly possibly, that she was not going to be successful. Sean had his mind set on meeting his father and possibly seeing what he could learn to help the Order. Severus did not think this a good idea, but Albus thought that a boy needed to know his father, even if his father was someone undesirable. He also thought selfishly that he could learn something important that might aid the resistance. After a tearful Gwen hugged her son goodbye and left to return to her quarters, Severus found the young man looking in his direction with a nervous look on his face.

"Professor Snape," Sean began. "I wonder if I might speak with you for a few minutes alone?'

"Look at the time," Albus exclaimed. "I should return to my own chambers. Please stay as long as you need."

The elderly wizard disappeared through a door behind his desk. Both Severus and Sean found their situation quite awkward. Neither of them were very comfortable with the other… and they had not been alone since the day that Severus learned that Gwen was actually Ursula. Finally, when he seemed like he might burst, Sean began.

"I left things with Anza badly," he admitted. "I said some terrible things to her."

"Yes, I was able to hear most of them from where I stood outside of the office door."

Sean hung his head in shame.

"Then you must really hate me."

"No… no, I do not," Severus said truthfully. "You spoke your words out of anger. Anza and I both know that. I must admit that I am grateful to know that my daughter has someone who cares so much about her. Your behavior this evening showed that you would do anything to protect her… but, perhaps you should work on your anger."

Funny coming from him, but at least no one else was there to witness his words of wisdom for the young wizard.

"Will you apologize for me?" Sean asked. "I would do it myself, but I need to leave as soon as I can. And then… then I don't imagine I can exactly keep in touch with her."

"No, I do not believe that would be wise, but yes, I will relay your apologies to her."

"Thank you, sir." Sean extended his hand to shake the professor's.

"You are not going to do something foolish like take the Dark Lord's mark, are you?" Severus was blunt with his inquiry, but he needed to know. He was not willing to stand by and watch as another person was taken from Gwendolyn.

"No, of course not," he assured the elder wizard. "I understand the reason that Anza did what she did. Her grief has changed her and she felt that by taking the mark she could somehow manage to find Charlie. But… I am not going to. There is someone I am leaving that I could not face again with marked skin."

"Your mother?"

"Well… I would not want her to see me that way either, but she was not the one I was talking about."

Severus sincerely hoped that Sean would do as he said he would. He wished the young man luck before finally leaving the confines of the Headmaster's office. His mind was racing, but he needed to check on his daughter. He needed to know that she was all right after her ordeal.

"Good evening, Professor." Gregory Goyle said as he exited the professor's private quarters at precisely the moment Severus arrived.

"Good evening, Gregory. Were you in there to see Anza?"

"Yes," he said quietly. "She seems to be doing better. I saw her when she was walking through the corridor earlier."

Suddenly something became clear to the concerned father.

"You care for my daughter, Gregory." It was a statement that he almost posed as a question.

"Very much so, sir," Gregory replied, his eyes dropping to his shoes. "But as long as Anza has a hope of Charlie she sees no one else. Good evening, Professor."

Severus watched the saddened young wizard disappear towards the Slytherin Common Room. It was mostly for the younger generation that he wanted this war to be over and done with. They all deserved an adolescence spent in peace, not in times of uncertainty and fear. With those thoughts still fresh on his mind, Severus pushed the door to his chambers open. It was exactly for people like Gregory and Anza and Sean that he wished for a quick victory. Too much of their young lives had been spent in a world of trepidation. They all deserved more than that.


	35. Chapter ThirtyFour

_A/N: Please forgive my tardiness in updating. All of my faithful (and not so faithful) readers will have to bear with me and be quite patient. Real life is taking precedence at the moment. I am entering in my last month of pregnancy and unfortunately I have been put on strict bed rest. Please know that I have not forgotten this story by any means, but at the moment updates might not come for a bit. My wonderful husband has ordered me a new laptop that will arrive in a couple of weeks, so until then I am not sure if I will be able to post a new chapter. I will continue to write as it helps keep my mind occupied and I love it so, but updates will not be frequent for a short couple of weeks. There is still a great deal more that I would like to do with this story. I actually am making it quite a bit longer than I initially intended. It is just so much fun to write and I have received several reviews stating that they don't want me to quit soon. :) Anyway… enjoy this next chapter! I would love to hear what you think._

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Chapter Thirty-Four

A raging fire in the grand fireplace warmed up Severus' personal quarters immensely. Too often he stayed in rooms that were cold and empty… much like he himself had felt for years. While his daughter was away, feared dead or affianced to Antonin Dolohov, Severus felt there was no need to warm up his quarters. They were simply rooms that he was forced to reside in from time to time. He much preferred spending his leisure time in the staff room or elsewhere on the grounds. His dungeons rooms were only there for a warm bed and a place to store his robes.

Molly certainly knew how to change a cool space into one that was livable. He found discarded robes he had strewn about the room were folded neatly and placed on a chair. Books that were carelessly thrown on a side table had been placed back in their shelves with his intricate shelving method. Dirty, empty glasses he had used to drink too much fire whiskey from were washed and also put away. There was even an inviting smell in the room. Something that he could remember smelling before but could not place where. It smelled faintly of lavender. With just a few simple actions, his rooms had been turned into a nice home. He was grateful for that now that his daughter was back.

Severus left the lounge to enter his bedroom. There he found that nothing had been touched. Perhaps Molly thought that that room was entirely too personal for her to do anything with. He crossed the room to the partially open door to his Anza's room. He expected to hear Molly Weasley's soothing voice and was quite surprised when her voice was not the one emanating from the room.

"Don't worry, Anza. You are safe here now," Hermione quietly tried to pacify the girl. Anza was lying on her bed with her face hidden in the covers. Hermione was gently patting her hair.

"I am not safe, 'Mione," Anza retorted, though her voice was muffled. "I am not safe anywhere I go. He is not going to just let me go like that. You heard what he said to me. That I am as good enough as his wife right now."

"Shh…" Hermione continued to play with Anza's hair. "Do you honestly think that your father is going to let anything happen to you? He is not going to let anyone, especially Dolohov come anywhere near you to hurt you."

Severus found himself heartened by Hermione's words. She had more faith in him than he had in himself. He always worried about how he would be able to protect those that he loved. So many times in the past he had failed. Somehow knowing that someone else thought that he could keep his daughter out of the clutches of the man that had a horrid obsession for her gave him a little boost of confidence and the determination to do just that. He temporarily forgot that it was quite awkward and perhaps a bit inappropriate for Miss Granger to be in his private quarters.

"He could have that law enforced, you know," Anza continued, obviously not calmed by the knowledge that her father would do anything in his power to keep her safe.

"What law?"

"That damned common-law decree! I lived in his house basically as his wife. I… I…" Anza burst into a whole new set of tears at the thought. Hermione continued to do all she could to calm her friend. "If he wanted to, he could claim that he and I were already married… if not legally, then… well, by other ways. He could invoke ancient magical law. It is still valid even today."

"I doubt that he would go to the Ministry with this," Hermione reminded her. "He is still on the run from them. He is not exactly a free man who could waltz up to the London offices any time he felt like it."

"He could still force me to come back to him. He could break into the school and take me home. There would be no legal barriers preventing that."

Hermione made her friend face her… made her look her in the eyes to see how serious she was.

"_No_ one is going to let you leave this castle. Your father is not going to lose you again. Twice in one lifetime is too much. He will protect you."

"What if he can't?" Anza was crying again… her fear was taking a great toll on her both emotionally and physically.

"Then Professor Dumbledore will protect you. He loves you. Everyone can see that. He remembers you from when you were a child living here. He would do anything to protect you. And if he failed… then there would be a dozen others waiting to help. Ron and I would do everything we could to protect you. And I think that Seamus and Neville proved on the first day of lessons this year that they consider you a friend close enough to jinx others for. Professor Wakefield is here too. She would not let Dolohov take you away. And if every one of those failed… we could just stick Dolohov in a room alone with Mrs. Weasley. No doubt she could take care of the man who murdered her family members."

They both laughed at the thought of the frighteningly angry Molly Weasley taking her rage out on a petrified Dolohov.

"But after what the bastard did to me in the Department of Mysteries," Hermione continued. "I hardly doubt he would make it past me."

"The Department of…? What did he do?"

Hermione gave a brief description of the battle in the Department during her fifth year. Dolohov had been the Death Eater who pointed his wand at Hermione to say the horrid Killing Curse. If it had not been for Harry Potter… well, Severus shook that thought out of his mind.

"I should have run away with Charlie when he asked me." Anza sighed a wistful sigh.

"When did he ask you to run away with him?" Hermione, despite her bookish and practical nature, did like to hear romantic stories.

"Last summer. I should have gone. We could be living happily in the South Pacific right now and not worrying about the damned Dark Lord screwing our lives up."

Hermione shushed her friend from such talk. It did no good for her to dwell on what could not be. Severus noticed a vial on Anza's bedside table. Hermione took it and quietly offered it to Anza."

"Take this, Anza. It will make you feel better."

Obviously trusting her friend to do what was best for her, Anza took the potion in one swallow. She settled down on her bed and within a few moments was fast asleep. Hermione placed a warm blanket on top of Anza before exiting the room. Just before she left the room, Severus rushed quickly back into his first room. He placed himself leisurely down on a sofa to wait for her to enter.

"Excuse me, Professor Snape," Hermione said when she saw him seated on the sofa staring into the fireplace. She stopped to stand just outside of the doorway to his bedroom. "I was helping Anza to settle in."

"Yes, I am aware," he replied.

"Gregory Goyle and I were talking in the Entrance Hall when we saw Mrs. Weasley walking towards the dungeons with Anza. Naturally he and I were both curious to see her."

"I was uninformed that you and Gregory Goyle spoke at all." He immediately wished he had not said that. It made him sound like a petulant teenager.

"Yes, well, normally we don't. We don't really have a lot in common. But this evening we ran into each other in the Entrance Hall. I was curious to know if he knew anything new about Anza," she admitted. "It was actually when we were talking about her that she arrived."

After the events of the evening, Severus desperately felt that he needed a drink. He could see the bottle of fire whiskey calling out his name just mere inches from where Hermione stood. Of course it would be highly inappropriate to drink in front of his student. And certainly a student being inside of his private quarters was inappropriate… especially when the student had legs like hers…

Severus shook his head in an effort to banish all of the thoughts he was having. He had had a very long day… that was all. Hermione looked about as exhausted as he felt, but she made no effort to leave the room. She had something serious on her mind. That much was obvious.

"Dolohov is not going to let her simply leave," she said breaking the awkward silence. "He will do everything he can to make her return to him. You and I both know he is not going to give in."

"Yes, I am afraid that I do know that, but as long as Anza stays in the castle or within its grounds she will be safe."

"All right… so in the short term she is protected, but she cannot hide in the castle forever."

He desperately needed a drink.

"Of course not," he conceded. "But until something can be done about Dolohov she will stay here."

"And what is the war goes the other way?" She gave him a piercing state, daring him to respond. "What if Voldemort wins?"

"Then we are all in a hell of a lot of trouble."

"Dolohov could invoke ancient magical law forcing her to be his wife. He certainly seems determined enough to do something like that."

That was the second time that night he heard mention of the ancient magical law regarding marriages. And for the second time he did not know to what Hermione was referring. Feeling angry with himself that he did not know something that his student did, Severus knew he would have to bite his tongue and ask what she was talking about.

"They are a series of extremely arcane laws that have been used in the past, the recent past that is, as a way for people to get what they want. Usually they are invoked by purebloods longing for the old days, I suppose," Hermione explained. "If Dolohov wished, he could claim that the time that Anza lived with him they were actually man and wife."

Desire for drink fell on him once more. His eyes drifted to the decanter on a side table next to Hermione. Thinking about his daughter living as that horrible man's wife was too much for him. Hermione was just as frustrated with the professor as he was with the situation. Taking her wand out of her pocket impatiently, she banished the decanter with the amber liquid inside straight into Severus' waiting hand. An empty glass followed it.

"It is inappropriate for me to drink in front of a student," Severus calmly responded to the hurled items.

"For Merlin's sake just drink it!" Hermione was aggravated beyond description. "You were staring at the alcohol longingly… almost as if you wished to marry it!"

"It has certainly treated me better than my first wife!"

Severus wished he could have simply kept his mouth shut. What compelled him to speak with Miss Granger so candidly? What was it about her that made him forget to be the overbearing, bat of a professor he had always worked so hard to be? Hermione merely sighed albeit a frustrated, but concerned sigh.

"That is very sad," she remarked. Severus could see the pity in her eyes… or was it actually pity? On second glance he thought he saw sadness, even anger. "You deserve more than that… a great deal more than that."

She spoke with such conviction that Severus almost believed her.

"I have more than I deserve with that precious creature sleeping in the next room," he replied quietly.

"Anza is getting ready to leave… to be an adult and live her own life. What are you going to do when she leaves?"

Severus sighed… but not so dramatically as his daughter was prone to do. This conversation was taxing to say the least. Why could he not just simply cease speaking to this remarkable young woman? Certainly his future self was glad that this discussion continued as it did, but in the moment he feared he almost could not to bear to think of the answers to the question Hermione was posing. Of course he knew that children eventually left their parents in favor of their own lives.

And his own daughter was certainly not going to be an exception to that rule. Unlike most her age she had already tasted freedom… from her parents that is. Freedom and independence. She was more inclined to leave on her own sooner. Severus knew he could not hinge his happiness and purpose completely on his offspring. It was unrealistic and certainly unfair to Anza, but… well, he was having difficulty imaging there would be any one else for him to care for and protect… and he honestly could not bear to think of his life alone again. Fourteen years had been entirely too long. But … then again, he did not see an alternative.

"I lived a solitary existence before," he responded between sips of fire whiskey. "I can do it again."

His heart was certainly not in his words. And what was more Hermione could sense it. Damn her and her perceptiveness, Severus wanted to shout, except of course his heart was not in that either.

"You deserve a great deal more than that," Hermione quietly repeated herself.

"And what is it that I merit?" He snapped at her out of irritation, but he was also curious to know why she seemed to believe that he deserved more in this life than he believed himself.

"We all deserve happiness," she replied again with great conviction. "Even you, professor."

He grew silent at that comment. Years of loneliness had hardened his heart. Regret and guilt from his foolish actions a younger man never allowed him to believe that he did indeed deserve happiness. The abduction of his daughter followed by her 'death' had been what he warranted, or so he had thought for many years. He was being punished for the number of lives he was responsible for taking. How many fathers mourned for their daughters because of a concoction brewed in his laboratory? And always he remembered that precious, perfect baby sleeping soundly by that blasted woodpile. Yes, Severus Snape believed that it was his fault that his daughter was not in his life. Marina certainly had a way with her own damned actions… a way of making others feel responsible for the atrocities she committed herself.

And then Anza came back. She was not dead. She was as beautiful to her father as the day he first held her tiny little form in his large hands or the day she finally said his name as a child. He still could not completely comprehend why she was back, why she was allowed to return. But… then she left him again at the same moment his life was in great peril. For the length of her short time away from her father the second time, Severus often thought that the wonderful year he had with his daughter was all a dream. A horrible monster like him did not deserve her… did not deserve any happiness or fulfillment in his life. He was doomed to spend the rest of his life wallowing in his own misery, constantly walking up and down dark corridors waiting for misbehaving students to come his way. And then for yet another time his daughter returned to him… returned willingly. He was still having difficulty processing that one; still afraid it was all a mirage.

"Perhaps I will think about my future happiness when the end of the war comes," he said, the finality in his chosen tone strong enough to dissuade the most persistent person from continuing… but obviously not strong enough to hinder Miss Granger. He would need to learn not to underestimate Hermione's tenacity.

"There is no reason to postpone your contentment until then," she snapped. "Today might be the only future we ever get… not to mention any one of us might die for the cause… fighting against Voldemort. Or worse still the whole damn war might never end."

"I suppose this is where you tell me, "Carpe Diem"… seize the day, waste not one moment," he retorted, his famously acerbic mouth getting the better of him by the moment.

Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously at that comment. The hairs on the professor's arm stood up at the expression. He could practically feel the raw magic radiating off the powerful witch. He certainly had never seen her look so angry or so serious. Quite frankly the sight both frightened him and excited him. Hermione Granger was not one to trifle with. That was something else he was going to need to learn.

"There is something to be said for that," she answered, her tone almost as biting as his. "What is the point of living if one is constantly waiting? Waiting for a future that might never be?"

Her question was rhetorical and for once, he treated it as such. But… he did have his own question for his relentless student.

"And what kind of future do you believe I deserve, Hermione?" His question was sincere as well as being quite informal.

"I have seen the way you look at the Weasley family when you believe that no one is paying attention to you."

Severus was not surprised to hear she had been watching him. He was not surprised but certainly confused. Why did he hold such interest for an impertinent girl like her? But, Severus, he had to remind himself, she was neither a girl nor in the wrong. Why was he upset at her for doing something that he himself always did? Observing others was not a crime.

"You want a family like that," she elaborated on her earlier comment. "You want the warmth and happiness that they have."

"They are a close family," he relented. "That… that must be nice."

"You should have a large family. I daresay that Anza would love it. She values family so highly."

"Yes, a large family would be nice," he said quietly to himself.

Before he had an opportunity to cease such fantasies, he was imagining a home full of childish mirth, a home with an aura even stronger then the Burrow's. He could see little hints of life being lived scattered around his dismal family manor… only it was no longer dismal, but bright and full of verve. There were no dark corners like the ones he used to hide in as a child when he saw his father or an elder brother walking his way down a corridor. Up and down the expansive corridors of the Snape manor and within each of the rooms he could imagine an overwhelming brightness and laughter… always laughter. He heard the distinctive giggle of his daughter Anza… there were different kinds of chortles, chuckles and sniggers reverberating through the walls. One in particular was distinctive amongst all the others… He heard the hauntingly familiar laugh of a woman, the same he heard almost nightly in his dreams.

Reality and a lingering fear broke the man out of his reverie. A house full of happy children was what he wanted… what he wished for deeply. That was fine… but how would it ever be possible? He would need someone to share that life with. Children do not simply appear out of thin air and there was no way to brew them into existence within a cauldron. There was no woman, he thought, who would be willing to share her life with him. What kind of woman would want him as a husband?

"You could not marry just anyone, of course," Hermione said almost as if she could read his fears.

And considering she learned the finer points of Occlumency through reading a book, Severus wondered if she was actually reading his thoughts. Writing his fleeting theory off as being complete fancy, he found himself curious to know what she was going to say next.

"Your wife would need to be quite a woman. Average would not do for you. Above average is also not good enough. You would need someone extraordinary."

Severus drowned his desire to scoff at her remark with a large swallow of whiskey. Right… an extraordinary woman was going to willingly share his life. Yeah, right. What extraordinary woman would want anything to do with him? How blind he was.

"None of the women in your life, as far as I can tell, have been ordinary. Anza certainly does not fit that description. From what she was told me about her Aunt Veda and Aunt Speranza, neither of them could be considered average. And… and well, Professor Wakefield is quite remarkable." Hermione continued almost as if she had forgotten that her professor was still seated in the room listening to all she had to say… and he was listening to every syllable she uttered. "She would need to be independent, I think… someone would could be there when you need her, but who also understood the need for privacy as well. She should be able to keep an intellectual dialogue and also be comfortable sitting in companionable silence. She would be intelligent. I daresay I cannot imagine you spending a moment willingly with a woman who did not understand the finer points of Stroulger's Theories on Alihotsy or Worme's Law of Transfiguration."

He thought he should stop her. Miss Granger did have a problem with rambling when she was either excited or nervous. No doubt finding herself in the middle of this discussion with Severus Snape made her quite nervous. She was babbling and for once in the six years that he had known her, Severus did not want to make her stop. To be truthful he rather enjoyed listening to her theories on the kind of woman that would make him, Severus Snape, recluse extraordinaire, happy.

"She would have to want that large family you dream of. Someone not easily frustrated or deterred by your temper. Someone willing to take you on in a row and not be afraid… definitely not someone weak. She should have immense respect for you… should know about your past but not be turned away from you. Someone who…"

"Stop," he ordered, though his voice was merely an echo of what it usually was. "No more."

Dreams are what give men and women, regardless of their magical abilities, hope. They are nice to think of occasionally but that evening, especially coming out of Hermione's mouth, Severus was having a hard time listening to his most fervent desires. He felt that actually seeing them come into fruition was hopeless. He did like to stop at times to imagine his family manor filled to the brim with life… a beautiful woman who meant the world to him at his side. That night he simply could not handle the dreams any longer. He was meant to live alone in his opinion. There was no need to speak of things that would never be.

To Hermione's great credit she seemed to understand exactly what her professor was thinking. She showed her advanced maturity in her sudden and prolonged silence. Even Severus had to attest to that. The two remained silent for several minutes. Severus stared into the bottom of his empty glass knowing all too well that he did not need nor wish for another drink. Hermione shifted a bit nervously as she looked around the room.

"Anza is sleeping?" Severus asked. He knew the answer but inexplicably wished to prolong Miss Granger's visit.

"Yes, she took a sleeping potion Mrs. Weasley left for her."

"I did not get an opportunity to thank Molly properly for all that she has done for my daughter. Where is she?"

"She did not stay long once she and Anza made it to the dungeons. Once she saw that she was leaving Anza in mine and Gregory's capable hands, she said good night. Apparently she felt that she was needed more in the Order headquarters."

Severus looked around the room curiously. If Molly was not the one that had straightened and warmed up the …

"I hope you will excuse the liberty I took to straighten your quarters," Hermione bashfully added. "Anza wished to speak with Gregory alone at one point, so I excused myself to come out here. When I am nervous I find tidying helpful for my nerves. During finals time my dormitory is the cleanest in Gryffindor Tower. When I am not poring over a book I am picking up after my roommates."

"Oh…"

"And of course I respected your privacy, so I only went from Anza's room to this room without stopping. Otherwise it would be quite inappropriate."

"…I see."

"Your rooms were freezing. I hope you do not mind that I built the fire. This room was too gloomy otherwise."

"Yes, well…"

Neither of them knew what to say after that. Certainly Severus never would have imagined that Hermione had to ability to brighten up the room so much. He was grateful that she took time to do it though. With his daughter back in his life, he was determined to make his habitat livable for Anza.

"Charlie needs to be found, Professor." Hermione broke the silence in a way that completely shocked her teacher.

"Excuse me?"

"Either he needs to be found alive or his body needs to be recovered. Anza will drive herself crazy if not. She refuses to move on with her life."

"I can assure you, Miss Granger that the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix has done everything in their power to find Mr. Weasley."

"I think I know someone who can help us."

"As I just said, Hermione, the Order has already…"

"He is not an Order member… and he certainly does not work for the Ministry of Magic."

She looked as if she was about to burst. He wanted to press her for details because he recognized that gleam in her eyes. She was about to go after something.

"I must…" She started to say, but quickly stopped. Moving towards the door to the corridor as quickly as she could, she only managed a brief sentence before completely exiting. "I will let you know what I find out."

Severus sighed dramatically, this time quite reminiscent of his daughter's theatrical sigh, and leaned back, laying his head on the back of the sofa. He had no idea what Miss Granger was up to.

* * *

The morning sun was already pouring through the windows in Severus' bathroom when he woke the next morning. Rays of sunshine escaped from the open door to fall on his face. Usually he was up way before the sun even hinted that it was ready to make its daily appearance. Wishing he could take a sleeping potion and skive off his lessons the professor reluctantly extricated himself from his warm bed sheets.

Following his visit with Hermione the night before, Severus found great difficulty in falling asleep. His mind raced until well after three in the morning. He must have fallen asleep at some point though he was quite unsure when. For hours he went over every moment of his conversation with Miss Granger. He could not stop thinking about all she had to say about the kind of future she believed he deserved. How strange that he could see her change from being quite mature and wise beyond her years one moment to being quite naïve the next. And he also lay awake thinking of this mysterious person who felt might be able to help her locate Charlie Weasley. He did not like to be out of the circle of knowledge but he had to grudgingly admit that Hermione often knew what she was getting herself in and was actually quite clever.

"Finally awake?" Anza was seated on a sofa in the lounge completely dressed and sipping a cup of hot tea. Severus only needed a good ten or fifteen minutes to ready himself for a school day. He was understandably surprised to find his daughter up before him. She was no morning person.

"What time is it?" He asked as he muttered a drying charm to his damp hair.

"Breakfast just started a few minutes ago."

"Why are you not already there?"

Anza chose to sip more tea instead of answering her father's question. He was respectful enough to not press her for her answer because he was also cognizant of the fact that his daughter had quite a time keeping anything quiet. She would respond in her own time.

"It is a bit strange, don't you think? Me arriving over a week after all of the other students. What kind of questions are they going to ask me? And more importantly… how am I going to answer them?"

"You could respectfully decline to answer," he suggested.

"Right," Anza scoffed. "That will work."

"I was merely offering a suggestion, Speranza. You may choose to take it or leave it."

"All due respect, Father, but I think I will leave it." She drank more of her tea; Severus noticed her hand shaking. "But at least I do not have to worry about being bombarded with inquiries during classes."

"Why is that?" Did his students not confuse his lesson with social hour at times? Surely the problem was rampant in all of the other lessons as well.

"Professor Dumbledore informed me this morning that I do not have to take regular classes if I did not wish."

This was certainly surprising news to Severus. First of all that his daughter had been awake long enough to have such a seemingly important and detailed conversation with the Headmaster before he was even awake. And secondly this was the first he had heard about the possibility of his daughter not taking classes. What was the meaning of all of this?

"The Headmaster said that it would be all right… he had apparently spoken with my other professors," Anza continued. "He said it would be all right if I simply took private lessons or did independent study this year. Professor Flitwick has offered to teach me for an hour or two a week on his own. Professor McGonagall has already sent me a month's worth of work for my independent study. Gwen… or err, Professor Wakefield has agreed to help me on my own with Defense and possibly Potions if you were not up to the task."

"Of course I will teach my own daughter potions," he responded in a curt manner. It was almost offensive to him to think otherwise. "And Divination?"

"I will be studying that on my own as well… though I hardly think it is necessary. It is hard to study such a subject. Either one had the gift or they do not."

Anza rose from the sofa, placing her empty cup on as a side table as she did so. She began to smooth down the front of her robes.

"I should head down to breakfast," she said, picking up her discarded school bag from the floor. "No time like the present to face the wolves."

Before Severus had proper time to wish his daughter a good first day back at school she was already out in the dungeon corridor. He pulled his outer robe over his clothes. Too much time had already passed without his presence in the Great Hall. There was no telling how many house points he could have already taken off from Gryffindor.

"Good morning, Severus," Gwen greeted once he took his customary seat beside her at the Head Table. Pomona Sprout was no longer separating the two of them at meals.

"Good morning, Gwen." He responded to her politely, though he was certainly not in the mood for pleasant discourse that moment. His mind was focused on a hundred different things… none of them what Gwendolyn Wakefield had planned to teach her fourth years.

"What is that?" Gwen pointed to the horde of owls that had just flown into the hall for their customary morning deliveries. A large eagle owl swooped over the house tables carrying a silver box in its talons. "Bit of strange mail, is it not?"

Severus returned to his eggs without another thought to the package. What one student received from home was not his business…. That is until he noticed that the silver box landed in front of his daughter. Anza was seated in the midst of the Slytherin seventh years, though Draco Malfoy and his followers were decidedly absent from her presence. Millicent was seated across from her as was her custom. Daphne Greengrass flanked her right while Gregory sat next to Anza. This was their routine, a routine he greatly missed in the time that his daughter was not a student there.

Anza eyed the box suspiciously. She held it in her hand for several moments until she finally determined that what was inside was not going to hurt her or rather she became too curious to leave the box be. Once the lid was removed from the top of the box students up and down the Slytherin table gasped as bouquet after beautiful bouquet of flowers appeared on their table. There must have been at least fifty bouquets of exotic and traditional flowers lining the slab. Anza's eyes widened at the sight. Certainly she knew whom they were from. With a wave of her wand she tried to banish each of the sprays, but actually only succeeded in blowing up three, setting another on fire, as well as covering a second year in sticky syrup. Her eyes filled up with tears and she ran from the hall sobbing. Daphne followed after her friend while Millicent and Gregory both waved their wands and successfully did what Anza had not been able to. Rumblings throughout the hall at the excitement eventually died down.

The next day an almost identical occurrence took place. Only this time both the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables were covered in flowers. Severus was furious to say the least at the blatant actions of one Mr. Antonin Dolohov, but he said nothing. He said nothing because he knew that these morning displays were taxing his daughter's nerves as it was already. After two weeks of silver boxes that each time Anza refused to open until they opened on their own to reveal elaborate bunch after elaborate bunch, the boxes stopped coming altogether. In their place came an infamous Howler. At least Dolohov had the decency to pen his ire in Russian. Only Anza and a couple of Hufflepuffs knew exactly what the Death Eater was calling his former fiancée. Each time that she received a package or a note from Dolohov in any fashion, Anza ran from the castle to hide in goodness only knows where for hours at a time. It was good for her that at least she had private lessons and her morning flights did not interfere with her schoolwork.

Dolohov finally broke all contact off with Severus' daughter after Anza had been there two months. Now that Halloween had come and gone, the castle and its inhabitants were settling themselves in for a long, cold winter.

"Anza seems to be feeling a bit more like her usual self, don't you think, Severus?" Gwen asked one morning over breakfast. It was one of those blessed Dolohov-free meals.

"I suppose," he casually responded. Yes, she was at least returning to some semblance of the girl she had been before, but Severus could not see the happy Anza he had known that first summer she returned to him. She had not been herself since Charlie's death… and somehow Severus knew that she would not be that girl again.

"You would be pleased to know that she is doing marvelously in her Defense lessons." Gwen was not dim. She knew the right way to change a particularly awkward subject. "Private lessons certainly agree with her. I daresay she will earn all of the N.E.W.T.s she chooses to sit for."

"Of course she will." He immediately wished he did not always have to be so forceful when it came to assuring others that his daughter was actually quite gifted in magic. "Have you heard any news from Sean?"

Gwendolyn sighed quietly at the mention of her son. No one had heard anything from him since the night that he decided to leave to meet his father. No one heard anything first hand that is. There were reports all over wizarding Britain about the newest Lestrange. Sean had apparently found himself quite at home in his family. He was living in the castle with his Aunt Cordelia, Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus (when they were not hiding from the Ministry). And of course his father was there with them as well. By all outside accounts he was living quite comfortably in their home. No one liked to hear that. Severus silently feared that the day might come when Sean found his new existence too comfortable to leave. What is the time with his father was forming an unbreakable bond of familial loyalty? Severus shook his head at the thought as if the action would prevent the worst from happening.

"I have heard nothing from his exactly," Gwen said. "Though I have seen his Patronus several times since he left."

"Patronuses can and do say a lot," he reminded her gently.

"Yes, I do know that. Only I wish he were here with me. I have a hard time remembering that he is almost nineteen years old."

Their conversation ended on that note. He might have liked to continue, but the arrival of post for both of them took their attention. Sitting on his toast, as all of his letters seemed to land, was a note Severus had not seen the like for a long time… not since before he was uncovered as a spy. The script on the front was undoubtedly Lucius Malfoy's hand. Muttering the incantation that opened these special notes, Severus found his hand was shaking as he opened it.

_Like father, like daughter. You might think the walls and wards of the castle keep your precious daughter safe, but they do not. You will both be punished._

And yet another empty threat… Severus was not afraid of Malfoy's words. He was a man who used threats to intimidate but they were never acted out. Feeling a surge or pride that both his and his Anza's actions had provided such a desperate note from the great and powerful Lucius Malfoy, Severus smirked to himself and resumed his meal.

* * *

"I wonder if I might have a word with you, Professor," Hermione asked one blustery, early December Saturday afternoon. She was standing in the corridor outside of his freezing potions classroom.

"What do you want, Miss Granger?" he barked, his voice echoing off the stone walls. Most of the other students were intimidated by this, but once again, she proved she was unlike most students.

"I wish to speak to you about some information I was able to receive."

The way she looked at him left him with no doubt that she was referring to what they spoke about so many months earlier. Neither of them had spoken about that night and this was the first time they had been alone since.

"Very well, but I do not see how any argument you make will get me to change your grade, Miss Granger."

He stepped aside to allow her entrance. Once he closed the door and was satisfied that it was safe to talk…

"What have you learned?" His tone was quite different from the tone he used in the corridor.

"I just received an owl from…"

Hermione's words were cut off by the abrupt arrival of a rather flushed Ronald Weasley. He threw open the door. Sweat was glistening on his forehead as he bent down to grab at a stitch in his side. It was apparent that he had just run as fast as his long, gangly legs could carry him.

"What is the meaning of this, Weasley!"

His words came out in short, staccato breaths.

"Anza… bathroom… after Quidditch… Anza…"

Severus felt his body grow cold.

"What about Anza!"

"Prefect's bathroom…"

Severus did not stop to wait for Weasley to catch his breath. Every ounce of him was screaming out that something was very wrong with his daughter. His own long legs took the stairs to the Entrance Hall two at a time as both Hermione and Ron scrambled in his wake. Students frightened by the look they saw on their potions master's face jumped out of his way. His years as a prefect made him quite familiar with the exact location of the bathroom. Why his daughter was there was a complete mystery to him. She was neither a prefect nor a Quidditch captain nor Head Girl.

"A group of us were playing Quidditch," Ron began to explain as the three of them rushed up the moving staircases. "Anza got hit with a bludger and fell off her broom."

"Is she all right?" Hermione always hated to hear about Quidditch accidents.

"She was only about ten feet off of the ground when it happened. She was fine… just really sore. I told her it would be all right if she used to prefect's bathroom… just this one time."

Severus was listening intently to what the Head Boy had to say, but his body was still carrying him up the stairs and towards where he knew his daughter was.

"When she did not come out for awhile I got worried…"

"Pine fresh!"

The door to the prefect's bathroom swung open. Severus rushed inside… his legs suddenly becoming very weak. Lying in a puddle of blood on the marble floor was his daughter. She was not moving… yet another time she had been knocked unconscious it seemed. Purple bruises were already beginning to form on her face and neck. When he looked down at her motionless body, Severus saw Gryffindor robes with a Head Boy badge covering her up.

"What happened!" He yelled at Mr. Weasley, though it was obvious that he was not responsible for what he found. Ron had the decency to cover Anza up with his own robes to shield her modesty. That was not the act of one responsible for the atrocity.

"I don't know, sir."

Gingerly Severus lifted his daughter's form off of the ground. She was covered in blood… trickles coming out of her nose, off of her head, and down her arms and legs. Wordlessly and perhaps in the shortest time it had ever taken him, Severus found himself in the hospital ward. Poppy shrieked when she saw that her latest patient was Anza, but she nonetheless set to work caring for the young woman.

"Stand over there!" Madam Pomfrey ordered the concerned father to leave his daughter. He had taken her over to an empty bed that Poppy immediately surrounded with curtains.

"Is she going to be all right?" Hermione's voice did not sound like her own when she asked the question.

"I do not know, Miss Granger," he responded honestly, feeling like a complete waste… helpless and powerless.

Only a few minutes later, though that stretch of time seemed an eternity to Severus, Madam Pomfrey silently gestured the man to come to her. Anza looked much better than she had upon her arrival to the ward, but he could still see a lot of blood and bruises marring his beautiful girl.

"There is no easy way to tell you this, Severus," Poppy began, dropping her voice so that they were the only ones who could hear. "Anza… Anza has been… _violated._"

He felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach and made it impossible for him to breathe.

"What?" He could not bear to think of what he had just heard… and under the same roof that he was under. Why was he not there to protect her? What kind of sorry excuse for a father was he if his own daughter could be… oh, he could not even bear to think of it. "Who did this?"

Poppy was crying, tears were splashing down her cheeks. With a shaking hand she pulled the white bed sheet still soaking in his Anza's blood up. She dropped the sheet to cover the young woman's personal areas… but on the inside of her left thigh there was no mistaking what Severus saw there. Deep and still bleeding was an embellished carving into her skin of … L.M.


	36. Chapter ThirtyFive

Chapter Thirty-Five

His eyes fixed themselves onto the grotesque carving. Though the sight was beyond repulsive to the man, he found that he could not turn away. The letters, still oozing fresh blood, held his attention as nothing else ever had before. He could almost see Lucius' damned smirk coming from the wounds. No doubt this was some sick way that Lucius had of not only marking where he had been, but also daring Severus to find him. A father is not quick to forgive such an atrocity against his beloved daughter.

"I cannot get rid of it," Poppy explained.

"There must be something that can be done," Severus replied, his voice hollow and shaking. "She should not have to live with… with that reminder."

"The wound has been sealed, Severus," she said, her own voice shaking with rage and sorrow.

"Sealed?"

"Usually it takes only a spell or two to get rid of such a mark. Students are often in here with wounded inflicted upon them by another. If I had a knut for every instance that _sliticus_ has been uttered, responsible for a patient in the infirmary I could have retired ten years ago quite comfortably."

Severus himself had often been the inflicted or the inflictee of the curse that caused deep cuts to sprout on another's body. Madam Pomfrey was often the one who healed him, always tutting about the danger and cruelty of children. Not once had she been unable to make the mark disappear; no chance of a scar remaining. What would cause a wound like Anza's not to heal? With his own experience with painful slicing spells, thanks to years of servitude under the Dark Lord, Severus raised his own wand. Once the spell he had often used after particularly violent revels or Inner Circle meetings had been articulated, Severus let out a cry of frustration at the wound that still remained.

"This is obviously Dark Magic," Poppy said as soon as she pulled the sheet down to cover Anza's lower body. "I also tried potions, creams, poultices and astringents. Nothing helped. It is as if this L.M. person does not want this wound to ever heal… some horrid, sick reminder or perhaps some warning."

"Did you try everything?" Severus demanded, feeling all at once like a viper ready to attack its enemy. Lucius Malfoy was going to pay. He was going to pay in ways he could not imagine. This was not something Lucius was going to walk away from.

"I did everything I know to do," Poppy snapped. "And if you will kindly remember, Severus, I do know a great deal!"

Her words still echoing throughout the otherwise silent hospital ward deeply shamed the potions professor. Of course Poppy knew a great deal about healing and of course she tried everything she knew to do. Though she would have done everything in her power to heal any student who came through her doors, Severus knew that Poppy would do everything she could to heal and protect Anza. She was like the granddaughter that the healer lost so many years before during the first war. If Poppy could not heal his daughter he began to wonder if there existed a person who could.

"Perhaps Albus could help," Poppy suggested. "He knows a great deal about Dark Magic. I daresay he knows more than you, Severus."

"Albus has forgotten more than I could ever hope to know," he conceded.

Over an hour later a worn looking and frustrated Albus Dumbledore emerged from the privacy of the curtains surrounding Anza's bed. The look on his face left none in the room to doubt that he had not been successful. Minutes before the Headmaster has been summoned to the hospital ward, Professor Snape shooed the two Gryffindors from the infirmary. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger naturally put up quite a fight to be allowed to stay. They both cared very strongly for the girl still lying unconscious behind the privacy screen, but they were not allowed to remain. They were exiting the ward at the precise moment that a frantically worried Professor Dumbledore pushed his way inside.

Anza was very much like a granddaughter to the elderly wizard as well. He had taken her father under his wing, cared for him like the son he never had a chance to have. Of course the former Transfiguration professor found himself quite charmed with the tiny, giggling mass that was Anza Snape when she first entered the castle clutching her father's robes so many years before. Albus lost his beloved wife and their only daughter before the nineteenth century had even come to a close. His broken heart had not allowed him to love so strongly since. Only when he saw the pain and terror that the twenty something Severus Snape had gone though as a Death Eater and the pain he acquired in childhood had Albus once again found his heart open to love as a father.

No one went into great detail about what happened to Anza. In truth, there were few details to tell. They would not know exactly what happened until Anza woke up. She would need to take almost a full week to wake up fully and to be coherent. The combination of her injuries and the healing potions were enough to keep her out for the better part of a week. Until then… until Anza was emotionally as well as physically ready to tell the story of what occurred in the prefect's bathroom they were all working simply with assumptions. It had only taken the sick look on Poppy's face when they spoke over the fireplace to get him there almost immediately. His arrival gave all in the room some hope that the hideous markings carved into Anza's skin would be instantly eradicated. His expression as he exited the privacy curtains crushed all hope.

"Any change?" Poppy asked hesitantly.

"I was able to stop the bleeding at least," Albus replied. "But the mark remains."

Severus felt ill at those words from his mentor's mouth. If Albus Dumbledore was not able to remove those carvings marring his daughter's skin he did not believe it possible for anyone else to be successful. Anza was doomed to walk around forever with the reminder that Lucius Malfoy had… Severus could not bear to think of what happened. How many times had he been forced to be witness to Lucius' insatiable lust for those he deemed weaker than he? How many defenseless Muggles had he seen tortured endlessly by the sadistic bastard? And to know now that his daughter was among his victims…

"Poppy, would you mind giving me a minute alone to speak with Severus?" Albus graciously asked.

"Certainly."

Poppy excused herself from the two men to enter her private office. Severus did not like the sound of Albus' wish to have a private conference with him. If he could not speak in front of Madam Pomfrey, one of his most trusted and admired staff members as well as a recent, private recruit to the Order, then Severus knew something was seriously wrong. His overactive imagination had a great number of fears.

"It appears that Lucius Malfoy did not wish for that wound to ever be healed," Albus explained in a hushed tone though there was no one present to hear their discussion. "He obviously wished to leave your daughter with a permanent _aide memoire_."

"Yes, that thought had occurred to me," Severus said with a harsh bite in his tone.

"It might have been more than a sick reminder. If the wound never healed then there would have been the possibility of infection and no obvious method of cure. These marks might have also served as Anza's slow death."

That thought had not occurred to the father.

"Not to worry though, Severus," Albus continued. "I was able to stop the bleeding and actually heal the wound, but…"

"A scar remains."

"Unfortunately yes. A rather deep and red scar remains."

"Is there not some scar remover, some potion I could brew to make it disappear completely?"

"Lucius has done a thorough job in making that very action quite impossible."

Impossible was not a word that Severus liked to hear. How could anything be impossible? Surely there must exist some text, some ancient tome to fix any problem. He was unused to finding anything without an answer or a spell or a potion to explain or fix. He had difficulty believing that the answer to Anza's problem did not lie somewhere within Hogwarts' extensive Restricted Section of the library. Only once, years before when he tried to rid himself of his dark mark had he been unsuccessful in his library research.

"As Poppy explained earlier and you saw for yourself, Mr. Malfoy has sealed Anza's wound. While I was able to heal it, he made it impossible for any wand that is not his own to remove it completely.

"Then we find a way to steal his wand and…"

Albus raised a silent hand to quite the younger wizard.

"I am the only person, alive or dead, who can use my wand… even in such a way as to benefit myself personally. Do you not also have wards on your wand to prevent someone else to use it? Someone other than yourself?"

"Well… yes, no one can use _my_ wand or _your_ wand…"

"Do you honestly not believe that Lucius Malfoy has not warded his the same way? Do you honestly believe that his father would not have insisted that his very first wand have that protection spell on it the minute he stepped into the Hogwarts' grounds?"

Of course the Headmaster was correct. Witches and wizards, those who practiced only the magic of the light as well as those who often did more than a bit of dabbling in the dark magics, often protected their wands. They created a complex spell around the core of their wands to make it damn near impossible for another to use it. Severus' hope of finding Lucius, killing him most painfully, stealing his wand and getting rid of his daughter's scars were crushed at that moment. Lucius would not do something so foolish as that. He would make it impossible for his wand to be used against him or at all.

"Is there nothing that can be done?" Severus asked one last time. His voice was pleading, begging the elder man to tell him what he could do to protect his daughter from the pain she was inevitably going to have to face each day as she caught sight of her scar. Everything was contingent on what Albus said next.

"Perhaps Filius knows some effective glamours," Albus offered, his tone decidedly more optimistic than it had been the entire length of his visit to the ward. "That is all that we can hope for at this point… some way to at least hide the scars."

While he did not like the idea that there was nothing to permanently remove the scar, Severus did make a mental note to himself that he needed to speak with Professor Flitwick about shielding and masking charms. If they could not remove it, hiding it was the next best course of action.

Severus took one last look at his daughter before heading to the exit of the room. While he did not want to leave her side until she was better, much like he did the year before when she was attacked during her Divination final, Severus knew that Anza would be sleeping for a great while yet. And there were many tasks left to outside of the infirmary… Lucius' murder, for one. Before he completely exited the room, Albus took a firm hold on his arm.

"While I cannot even begin to imagine what you are experiencing right now, Severus," Albus said, his voice quite low and full of both concern and warning. "I must ask that you do not do anything foolish. Do not leave the castle grounds. Lucius Malfoy is certainly waiting for you to do exactly that. Stay within the castle. Be here for your daughter when she wakes up. You will be no good to her dead."

Most would take a command from Albus Dumbledore quite seriously. He was used to having his orders obeyed. If his wisdom and insight were not the catalysts employed to encourage one to make a certain decision in their life, then Dumbledore's amazing magical abilities and strength certainly helped. Severus was not used to feeling the urge to resist Albus' charisma and head in the opposite direction of his wishes… but Severus had also never felt the rage he was experiencing at that moment. He had never, not even the day he witnessed his daughter's death, felt so helpless. Lucius deserved an unbearably long, agonizingly slow and excruciatingly painful death.

"I understand, Headmaster. Of course I would not be so imprudent as to go after Lucius before I had a proper plan in mind. I will remain in the castle."

It was a bold faced lie, but his many years of Occlumency study and practice prepared him for moments like these. Albus looked at him suspiciously, as if truly trying to decide to believe the man. He said nothing as he turned from his protégé. Severus watched his retreating form disappear completely before heading towards his dungeons. There were some items he wished to gather before murdering yet another of the Malfoy line. Perhaps if he was smart he should go ahead and take out Draco as well. It would only be a matter of time before that one turned out like his father. And considering that each generation appeared to be getting steadily worse with the passage of time, Severus really would be doing the world a favor.

Severus should have been surprised to see Miss Hermione Granger standing in the corridor outside of his potions classroom, but in truth, he was not in the least astonished. The only thing about her presence that surprised him was the secretive yet amiable way she was addressing Gregory Goyle. Neither of the sworn enemies appeared to be uncomfortable around the other.

"Sir? Anza…" Gregory began.

"Is still sleeping."

Severus did not even break his stride into his classroom with that abrupt response. His focus was on finding Lucius and making him regret ever laying a finger on his daughter. He did not waste a moment in filling his pockets with various and extremely dangerous potions. While he had not figured his entire plan out yet, he knew that the concoctions he chose could very well bring on a painful end to one's existence.

"Professor, you cannot leave now," Hermione said once he exited his classroom. Leave it to her to provide an opinion where one was not asked of her. "It is a trap. V-Voldemort is using this as a way to get you out of the castle's protection."

"Dinner is about to be served in the Great Hall, Miss Granger. I suggest that you head there at once… and kindly take Mr. Goyle with you."

He was prepared for nothing… only to step outside of the gates marking the entrance and exit to the haven that had been his most of his life and plan his next move from there. If it was a trap as he had already been told twice that day, a third time if he counted the warning going off in his own head… but if it was a trap he would figure out a way to remove himself from it and head towards Lucius. It was only when he saw a shock of almost white hair at the end of the corridor and felt the weight of a vial of Veritaserum in his pocket did Severus have a more concrete plan.

"_Locomotor mortis!_"

Draco Malfoy found, much to his surprise, that he was rooted firmly to the floor. The same jinx he had often used on an unsuspecting Neville Longbottom in their earlier years, proved most effective against him. For once the young wizard was entirely on his own. His cronies were nowhere to be seen. This was at least helpful to the professor. Despite shouts of protects from Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger, Severus poured a liberal amount of the serum down Draco's mouth. It worked instantaneously.

"Where is your father, Draco?" he demanded.

"I do not know."

"Where was he the last time you knew!"

"The last letter I received from him came from a small cottage outside of Hogsmeade. Certainly does not sound like a suitable place for Father."

"When did you receive this post?"

"This morning at breakfast."

Severus wasted not a moment more to ask another question of Draco. He was vaguely aware that Professor Wakefield was in the same corridor. As he climbed the dungeon stairs two at a time he managed to hear snippets of a heated conversation.

"Where is he going?" Gwen demanded.

"To find Lucius Malfoy!" Hermione replied. "But he is walking straight into a trap!"

"Of course he is! Severus, stop!"

Naturally he did not heed any of their warnings. He was determined to find Lucius, damned be the consequences. When he was halfway across the expansive grounds a thought came to him that caused a particularly nasty smirk to form across his face. Pausing only briefly to pen a quick note and banish it up to the Owlery where his ever faithful Abir chose to spend his days, Severus continued his walk.

Cautiously Severus crossed the threshold of the Hogwarts' gate to the unwarded, hostile land beyond. He felt the hair on the back of his neck rise at the mystical intensity of the ancient magic that served to protect all within the castle grounds as well as keep the school shielded from the view of Muggles. He expected whole-heartedly to be assaulted the moment he stepped outside… to his great surprise, he was not. He walked further and further from the safety of the castle, but still nothing happened. Hogsmeade began to slowly come into view through the December mist, but still nothing happened.

Perhaps Lucius had run off, afraid of what Severus would do to him if he caught him? Severus was indeed known as a very powerful wizard, capable of much. But… he shook that thought out of his head. Lucius was too arrogant and too stupid to be afraid of anything. His only fear was upsetting the Dark Lord because he was not easily pacified by curses or the right amount of gold. He was not impressed by influence. Even if Lucius had already begun to regret his actions toward Anza, he was not likely to fear Severus' wrath. The father shook that idea out if his head.

No… Lucius was definitely planning something. He would not have planted such a vivid and painful warning if he did not have some sick plan. Severus knew it would only be a matter of time before he would have an idea of the madman's strategy. But as Hogsmeade came and went, he wondered if Lucius was perhaps waiting for another time. This was most unlike the current Lord Malfoy. He was like an impatient child on Christmas morning waiting to unwrap his presents. He would not wait long… of that Severus was certain.

By the time the rundown, derelict cottage came into view, Severus was wondering if perhaps he was wrong in his thinking about Lucius. Had all of the years he had known and studied the predictability of the bastard been for nothing? Had he for once in his life gone against the grain and behaved in a way most unlike him? Had he changed his mind and …

"_Impedimenta!"_

Lucius made his presence known. With a prideful swagger in his walk and a damnable gleeful smirk on his face, the man Severus had come to hate above all others arrived.

"Welcome, Severus. How nice of you to join me here," Lucius said, chuckling as if he had made a joke that was actually funny. "Seems I have had the pleasure of the company of more than one member of the Snape family today."

If he could have moved Severus would have snapped that blasted wizard's neck in two. Try as hard as he could, the potions professor could not move from his spot. In all of the time that he had known Lucius and what he was capable of, he had never taken the time to learn a particularly helpful counter spell to the numerous binding spells that Lucius often employed. And seeing as how if it were up to Severus this would be the absolute last time he was ever forced to look into that man's face, there seemed little point to now. As Lucius circled the fuming man with another of his detestable expressions plastered on his face, Severus went through every single spell, counter spell, jinx and hex he could think of that might give him the freedom and mobility he required to attack Malfoy.

"Though to be perfectly honest," Lucius continued. "I would much rather that your daughter be the Snape standing with me right now. How is she?"

A low, feral growl escaped from Severus. How dare he speak in such a flippant manner about the young woman he dishonored and almost killed?

"Do not speak of my daughter," he warned. "You are not worthy enough to even think of her!"

Lucius ignored the comment.

"What a _charming_ daughter you have, Severus," he said, disregarding the murderous look on Severus' face. "I can see now why Antonin is so obsessive in his need to reclaim her. She is not one so easily thrown aside and forgotten."

"You certainly were able to throw her aside earlier with ease!"

"I said it was not easy, but I never said it was impossible," Lucius snapped. "Though I would not mind reclaiming her once again…"

Severus' body ached with fatigue as he unsuccessfully tried to pry his way out of the strong magical binds. He was unsure how much more he could listen to this prattling fool of a bastard. The way he spoke with such candor and ease about the dreadful things he did was beyond him.

"It is only too bad that she has such a short time to live. I will not get the opportunity."

"Short time to live?"

"I am sure that someone as observant as you, Severus, would have noticed the marks I left on your daughter. Certainly that is the reason I assume you are here now." He smirked again. Severus imagined the wizard considered by most women in their wizarding community to be quite handsome, with a gaping hole where his face should have been. "The enchantments I placed on her wounds has rendered it impossible for her cuts to ever stop bleeding or heal. She will lose a great deal of blood or infection will set in. Either way she will finally die a real death… not one of those fake deaths that her mother Marina seems to be so keen on."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Lucius," Severus spat. "But Albus Dumbledore has managed to heal Anza's wounds. She will not die because of your ministrations I assure you."

Something close to triumph stirred within Severus' gut at the sickened expression of Lucius Malfoy's face. He was not a wizard neither easily discouraged nor used to failed plans. After a moment of shocking disbelief on his part, Lucius returned to doing what he knew to do best… verbal torture.

"Perhaps that is for the best then," he continued. "It will give me more opportunities to _ahem_ visit your daughter."

"You will never lay another hand on her again!"

"I must say that I feel like some unfinished business of my past has been completed," Lucius added, ignoring the furious rants and cursing of Severus. "Through Anza I was able to do what I always wanted to with your sister Speranza. Nice how that worked out, right?"

For a moment Severus worried that the veins in his head would explode with the amount of anger that he was experiencing at that instant. Lucius always knew that exact button to push to send a person over the edge.

"I _will_ kill you!" Severus shouted in his fury, meaning every single syllable that came out of his mouth.

"Just like you killed my elder brother?"

Severus was silent at that utterance. How could Lucius possibly know that?

"Did you honestly think I did not know, Severus?" Lucius chuckled. "Of course I knew. Of course I knew the day you did it… the guilty, sick look you had on your face that morning we were standing over Luca's body. It certainly did not take a genius to figure that out… especially considering how much you hated him for what happened to your sister."

"Did…" He did not even know where to begin. Thoughts of his daughter's situation temporarily took a backseat to his thoughts about the events of so many years earlier.

"Did my idiot of a father ever figure it out?" Lucius asked for him the exact question he was thinking. "You are still alive, so no. He never knew. He never so much as had a suspicion his grief over Luca was so strong. He never recovered after that. Even as he lay dying, Father still wept like an irrational woman for the son he loved the most. He hardly shed a tear for Lucien if he shed one at all. But for Luca he sobbed continuously."

Lucius' bitterness over his father's feelings for his elder brother was palpable. For a brief few moments his face was as readable as an open book. He had always hated his elder brother because of the love and affection that he received from both of their parents. He had never gotten over the way his father used to tell him that he wished that he, Lucius, had been the one to fall down the stairs. The moments lasted only shortly. Soon Lucius face was returned to its impassive mask with only the irritating smirk to show any amount of emotion.

"But I must say that I have always been grateful to you, Severus," he said. "You saved me the dirty work of killing my own brother. I was able to keep my hands clean and still inherit everything. Not a day goes by that I am not grateful for that. Perhaps that is the reason I was so blind to your activities for so many years. Had I not been thankful for you murdering my brother I might have been able to spot you as the spy that you were."

"I always knew I killed the wrong Malfoy," Severus replied, still struggling to weaken the magical hold on him.

"Yes, well, the past is behind us. We have so much more to look forward to in this life." He smiled evilly at his former fellow Death Eater. "I for one am grateful that Anza's life was spared. On second thought I am very glad that my spells are not going to kill her. It will give me more time to enjoy her… especially with her father out of the picture."

Lucius raised his wand to point it at Severus. The professor knew that his moment of death had finally come. He should have listened to Albus. If he had he would live to see another day. He would be there for Anza as he should have been at that moment. He should never have left her side. That was exactly what the bastard Malfoy wanted. That was exactly his purpose for carving his initials into his daughter's thigh. What a sick bastard.

"I will have to congratulate Antonin on Anza's progress. No doubt she learned everything she knew from him… or perhaps she learned it all back in Elphick. They do say that only whores come out of that settlement."

Severus was angrier with himself at that moment than he was at anyone else in the world, including Lucius Malfoy. He was about to die and the last words he was ever going to hear were awful comments about his daughter. Knowing that the inevitable was about to come, Severus stood up as straight as the bindings would allow to take his death like a man. Lucius' murderous glint only got even brighter.

"_Crucio!_"

That was certainly not the curse that Severus was expecting by the expression on Lucius' face. The shock of not hearing "Avada Kedavra" was so great that Severus did not even feel the effects of the pain curse. He was beginning to wonder what was going on when he finally realized that it was Lucius suffering. The screams he heard were not his own. They belonged to the weakened Lucius writhing on the forest floor in agony.

"I will kill you for laying your filthy hands on Anza!"

Severus felt a moment of jubilation at the knowledge that his earlier plan had indeed worked. While he was crossing the Hogwarts' grounds he thought of the one person who would come to his aid, or rather go against Lucius, if they knew of the circumstances of Anza's confinement to the hospital ward. Sending an owl to Antonin Dolohov explaining exactly what his supposed friend had done to the woman that he loved was one of Severus' more brilliant plans if he had to say so himself. It appeared as if Dolohov was going to kill Lucius for him. He was finding that he rather enjoyed watching the duel between the dark wizards.

He was enjoying the sight so much that he found himself quite confused when he saw both Dolohov's and Malfoy's eyes widen in shock followed by both of their disapparations. Still confined by Malfoy's spell, Severus could not turn around to look in the direction the two had just been looking in. But… he soon learned that he did not necessarily need sight to know who was behind him.

"_Finite incantatem._"

"Headmaster, I…"

"We will return to the castle at once. It is not safe in these woods any longer."

Neither said a word as they walked through Hogsmeade and continued on their way back to the Hogwarts' Castle. Severus felt rather like an eleven year old just caught jinxing another first year in the corridors. The silence between the two men was almost too much for him. Even without words he could sense the disappointment that Albus felt in him. The Headmaster walked him silently to the door of the hospital ward. Finally he spoke.

"Anza needs you _here_ Severus," he said. "And if you ever disregard a direct order from me again, I am afraid that I will be forced to throw you out of the castle. My orders are to keep you safe, Severus. They are in your best interest and in the best interest of your precious daughter."

"Yes, Headmaster." He could not look the elder wizard in the eye. Instead he chose to behave like the first year he felt and stare at his shoes.

"But I will admit that I was impressed to see that you told Dolohov what happened. If there was one more person who would be furious enough at what happened to Anza and strong enough to take out Malfoy, besides you or myself, it would be him. You showed good judgment in utilizing him as a resource."

"Thank you, Headmaster."

"Do not take what I say the wrong way, Severus. My orders are to be obeyed. If another incident like what happened to today takes place, I will not be so quick to come to your aid."

* * *

Life resumed within the castle walls despite Anza Snape's conspicuous absence from daily life. Though she was only taking a few private lessons with the professors and did not attend regular classes, rumors of the cause of her injuries and her incarceration in the infirmary spread through the school rapidly. To Severus' enormous relief, no one had as of yet ascertained the truthful reason of why she was lying in a hospital bed. Her secret was safe.

He wished that he could remain at the side of his daughter's hospital bed to ensure that she was recovering as nicely as Poppy Pomfrey assured him she was each day, but the inconvenience of classes made that wish impossible to grant. Instead he settled for daily reports from the healer each afternoon and evening as he visited the hospital ward. He was understandably anxious for Anza to wake up. Despite her dozens of injuries since her return to Britain, including several that left her unconscious and in the hospital, this injury was by far the hardest for Severus to withstand. The waiting itself was torture, but of course the actual knowledge of the way that the injuries in question had been inflicted were difficult for him to bear as well.

"Good afternoon, Severus," Albus Dumbledore greeted the professor once the classroom completely emptied of its last few straggling students. The last bell of the school day had sounded only a few minutes before his arrival. As could be expected of a man in Severus' position, he had not been in the best of moods the previous week. His students had only been too happy to exit his classroom.

"Headmaster." He did not even look up from the stack of scrolls he had already begun to mark.

"Anza woke up a few hours ago."

Severus threw his quill down on his desk as he leapt to his feet. He headed towards the door, but was stopped by the firm hand of his mentor.

"Why was I not informed of that the moment she awoke?" He was quite angry to be certain at not being told his daughter had regained consciousness, but he had not forgotten how lenient Albus had been earlier that week. His tone was respectful, if not a bit short.

"I thought it best that Miss Snape speak with Gwendolyn and Minerva when she woke up about what happened to her the other day," Albus calmly responded.

"And I was not to be present?" He tried unsuccessfully to hide his anger at this news. "I have every right to know what happened to my daughter!"

"Of course you do, Severus," Albus responded even more calmly than before. "But I did not think it necessary or even wise for you to be present when she gave her account. What she has been through is not a simple attack. I felt it best that she speak with them first. Minerva will let us know what was important. As her father especially, you do not need to hear everything that transpired that day. I fear that even I could not keep you from Lucius Malfoy if that was allowed."

_Damn it_… Albus was right. Was he always right? It certainly seemed to be the case to the frustrated professor.

"Can I see her now?" He asked.

"Certainly."

Not a single point was removed from any of the four houses as Severus made the long trek from the dungeons to the hospital ward. That fact alone should attest to the desire the professor had to be with his daughter. Nothing and no one stood in his way to his goal either. Students scattered like cockroaches in the light of their concerned potions master. Even a suit of armor or two scuttled out of his way.

A stern looking Gwendolyn barred the door to the hospital ward from Severus when he arrived. Initially annoyed at the action, he finally relented enough to hear what Gwen had to say. As he looked at her face he was reminded of their Hogwarts' days together. She often had that same serious expression, especially during any of their number of fights. Remembering the past was harder for Severus the older he became. A bit of melancholy fell over him as he thought of the carefree, innocent days he used to share with Ursula Albrecht in the secret greenhouse courtyard. He would never be that naïve again.

"Your daughter does not only have your eyes, Severus," Gwen said quietly. "She also has your immense strength."

"Does she?" He knew that his daughter was strong, of course. It was _his_ strength he had difficulty believing in. He certainly did not feel very strong. "How is she?"

"Far better than any of us had any right to expect or imagine," she sighed.

"Did she tell you what happened?"

"It was basically the same as we assumed. When Anza entered the prefects' bathroom she took a long bath. At some point in the middle she heard the door open. She was understandably confused and frightened to see Lucius Malfoy. After a fairly brutal struggle the bastard put her under the Imperius Curse." She stopped to take a deep breath. "From there you know what happened."

"How did Lucius get in?"

"We are still not certain how he got in or out of the castle itself," Gwen explained. "How he got into the prefects' bathroom is simple enough to explain. Minerva said the room had the same password when she was a fifth year. After she tells the Headmaster what we learned she is going to change it personally."

Neither of them quite knew what to say after that. The entire experience was surreal to say the least. Never in Severus' wildest nightmares did he ever expect what happened to his daughter to take place. Even almost a week later he was having difficulty believing it happened in the first place.

"I am worried about Anza," Gwen finally said. "She does not seem like herself."

"How so?"

"From the moment she woke up… even during the time that she told Minerva and myself the most dreadful things, she has not shed a single tear. That is most unlike her."

It was indeed quite unlike the girl… er, young woman, Severus knew. Anza cried at the drop of a hat. She cried for the tiniest reasons.

"She must still be in shock," he reasonably explained.

"Of course."

Severus excused himself to move past Gwen into the hospital ward. He found the privacy curtains surrounding his daughter's bed to be pulled completely shut. Poppy emerged from them as he approached them. With the healer's permission he crossed to sit in the empty chair next to his daughter.

Anza was blankly staring out a window next to her bed. She had been given a private area at the end of the ward facing an entire wall of windows. Something on the grounds had her attention.

"Anza?" Severus used a voice he had not had to employ for many years.

"Please do not speak to me like a little girl," Anza replied quietly, her voice sounding hollow and quite unlike her own. "I am so sick of hospital beds. I want to go home."

"Madam Pomfrey wants you to stay an additional night," he explained. "Then you will be allowed to move back to the dungeons."

"No… I want to go _home_."

"You know it is not safe there anymore… for either of us."

"Of course I know that, Father!" she snapped. "It was merely wishful thinking."

She returned her gaze out the window. Something about his daughter was quite unlike herself and naturally Severus did not like it. It was as if she had woken up a completely different person.

"Madam Pomfrey says I will heal," she sighed. "Except for…"

"Professor Flitwick showed me some effective charms that could hide…"

"NO!" Her voice rang throughout the ward. "I will not hide the scars."

"Why?" He was surprised to hear that. Naturally he assumed that she would not wish to be reminded every day of what she went through. "It is nothing but a painful reminder."

"I want to be reminded."

"You want to be reminded of Lucius Malfoy every time you see the scars or remember that they are there? What purpose would that serve?"

"It will give me the strength I need."

Her black eyes darkened. For the first time in her life, Severus was fearful of his daughter and what she was capable of.

"Strength for what?" he asked timidly.

"Strength to kill Lucius Malfoy."

When Severus emerged from behind the curtains surrounding his daughter's bed a short time later, he emerged a troubled man. There were a great many concerns brewing around his head. What happened to his daughter to change her so utterly? Certainly he understood that the trauma she experienced was not something that could be easily taken care of with a few days of bed rest. The wounds inflicted upon Anza were not simply physical. It was her anger and her seemingly lack of emotion that troubled the man the most.

His thoughts were worrying him so much that he did not hear a voice behind him in the corridor call his name. The moment he felt a small hand touch his arm he jumped a foot in the air. With his wand already drawn in his hand, he found himself relieved and more than a little annoyed to be face to face with Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" he barked.

She did not back down to him. As she responded to him she thrust a couple of sheets of parchment into his empty hand.

"Since Anza's… well, since last week I have not had an opportunity… or really found the time right to share with you the information I have received."

Of course… in the midst of the drama concerning Anza and Lucius Malfoy, Severus had completely forgotten that Miss Granger wanted to talk to him earlier.

"My source thinks he might have found something," she explained.

Carefully he unfolded the parchment to read the first of two letters.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I was very surprised to receive your owl, but I am grateful that I did. You seem to be very determined to find anything you can about this Mr. Weasley. Of course I will provide any assistance that I am able. Little Sparazaqua is like a younger sister to me. Sean Wakefield and I tried our best to keep her out of trouble. Simply knowing that she is in need is enough to get me to help. But… you must understand that looking for suspicious activity in Elphick, especially in the area where Marina Velousova is concerned is a virtually impossible task. You must know the kind of people who typically settle here. Your request is a difficult one, but I will do all that I can to help. _

_Eamon Cullen_

"Who is this Eamon Cullen?" Severus asked.

"He was Anza's next door neighbor. She helped him out a number of times when she lived there."

"Can he be trusted?" These days no one could be too certain.

"Anza says he can," she replied simply.

Though he was not completely pacified, Severus returned his attention to the second letter in his hand.

_All right… Hermione, it is. I have been keeping an eye out just as you asked. For months nothing happened. Or at least nothing of any interest to you. Elphick has been quite exciting since You Know Who came back. Lines of loyalty are being drawn even here. Something interesting happened the other day. I work at the local apothecary. Normally my employer fills out Marina Velousova's orders personally. He was not available to help her this day. She, as could be expected, was quite furious, but said that she was in dire need of certain ingredients that could not wait. I gave her several potions ingredients, but I was most surprised by the liberal quantities of asphodel and wormwood that she ordered. _

_That evening I watched her cottage from my own. A wizard I have never seen before entered late that night. When he came out hours later his arms were laden with filled potion vials. He headed towards the shore only a short distance from our row of cottages. I followed him carefully in the dark. The wizard entered a small cave I have never seen before… it must have been cloaked by magic before. He was not concerned about being followed, that was obvious. It was not difficult for me to slip inside after him. Why I did this I am not entirely sure. Adrenaline must have been all that kept me moving. Usually I am not so reckless. I did not get very far inside the cave before I had to turn back, but I did see something. Hidden in the back of the cave was a man sleeping on a cot. Though it was dark it was not impossible to see his red hair._

_That is everything that I could find. Since that night I have not attempted to venture again. It is too dangerous. I hope that this helps you in your search._

_Eamon Cullen_

"Do you honestly think that this man he speaks of could be Charlie Weasley?" Severus asked when he finished. He was having difficulty believing it to be true, but he had been surprised in his life before. He was slowly learning not to discount all possibilities.

"It certainly could be," she responded. It was obvious that she was optimistic.

"Then there is only one thing to do… Over the winter break I will go to Elphick."

"And I am coming with you."

* * *

_A/N: Thank you all for your patience and your kind words of encouragement!_


	37. Chapter ThirtySix

Chapter Thirty-Six

"No, you are not," Severus firmly replied. He knew the potential danger he would be experiencing by his decision to visit Elphick. He was not about to allow Miss Granger to put herself in that kind of danger as well. If something happened to Hermione…

"If you will recall," Hermione said, her tone determined and strong. "I did not ask you for your permission. I have already made up my mind. When you go to Elphick I will be there with you."

"Impossible." He found himself both annoyed and impressed with her insistence. Did she ever give up when she had already set her mind to a task? "It will be too dangerous. You would be too much of a target there. I will go alone."

Severus' question was about to be answered. Of course Hermione Granger never gave up when she was determined.

"Simply being Harry Potter's best friend makes me a target wherever I am at," she reminded him harshly. "I know the danger and risk involved in this undertaking. I am more than up to the task."

"You are not needed there," he responded brusquely, silently hoping he was not being too rough on the young woman. He had no intention of hurting her feelings or injuring her pride. "If you were to join me, my attention would have to be focused on keeping you safe in what sounds to be a rather volatile place."

Hermione rolled her eyes dramatically. It seemed, to Severus at least, that she had been a friend with his daughter for too long. Anza's nasty habits were rubbing off on Miss Granger.

"I do not need your protection." She seemed almost insulted at the mere suggestion that she could not look after herself. "I am not the average eighteen year old girl fresh from school who does not know how to do anything. For close to seven years now I have been helping my best friends in situations that most witches and wizards will never go through in their lives. Kindly remember that, Professor."

That was naturally a rather convincing argument. Severus would certainly have a hard time disputing that point, but he was not a man easily deterred.

"The stakes are much higher now that the war is in full force. While I am a visible target, you are much more so, Hermione."

"This is precisely why we should go to Elphick together," she insisted. "The two of us together will not stick out as much as one or the other of us going."

He was genuinely curious to hear her argument.

"And how could that possibly be, Miss Granger?" he demanded a bit harsher than he intended. "We are both considered top priority enemies of the Dark Lord. One of us alone, and especially the one with the experience in spying, would be more effective."

Now that she was posed with the offering of her plan, Hermione seemed quite uneasy. Her eyes, so well guarded around the potions master, fell to the floor. She, who was so used to speaking when no one else wanted her to, found difficulty uttering a single syllable the moment Severus wanted her to.

"You will not like I propose," she finally said. "But as I see it, this would be the only way not to rouse suspicion."

"I am waiting, Miss Granger!" he retorted when she fell silent once again.

"Anza once told me that some of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons professors would visit Elphick to… uhh, be _alone_ with their students."

He did not quite know what she was talking about. Professors alone with their students in Elphick. What sort of purpose would that… All at once he understood.

"Absolutely not! That is completely out of the question, Miss Granger. My reputation as a professor at this school and yours as not only a student but Head Girl… to even suggest such a masquerade…"

But once more that evening Hermione was not to be easily dissuaded. She had her mind set to the task at hand.

"For me to go alone to Elphick would be quite suspicious as I seemingly have no business being there. You going alone would certainly be suspicious. Marina would know something was up in a heartbeat."

He found himself willing to at least listen to her plan.

"Explain to me how the two of us going together would not rouse as much suspicion as just one of us?"

"If there is one thing that the citizens of that settlement are good at, according to both Anza and Sean, it is turning a blind eye to various indiscretions," she explained. "If you or I showed up in their settlement alone without a good reason, there would be trouble. They are not a friendly group when they feel threatened. If it appeared that we were there for our own reasons, there might be some problems, but for the most part, we should be left alone."

He hated to admit it, but her plan seemed to be sound at least. It might work though he was more than a little uncomfortable with the idea of pretending to have an illicit affair with one of his students… and especially with this particular student.

"And Marina?" He asked when yet another concern came to him. "I hardly doubt she would find my presence in Elphick welcome or at the very least tolerable. She is bound to alert someone to our presence."

"Eamon says that she spends the entire month of December at her family home on the Volga River every year. She has already left. If we go as soon as the holidays begin we will not run into her."

"Do you not believe she would be informed of at least my arrival?"

"Most of the citizens we will come into contact with will not know or care who you are," Hermione replied, a definite tone of exasperation in her voice.

"But the war…"

"Do you want your daughter to finally have some closure?"

Oh, she was good. Hermione knew exactly the right thing to say to persuade the reluctant professor. Mention his daughter and her happiness and he was willing to do damn near anything.

"Have you received your Apparation license?" he asked knowing the answer already.

"Yes, of course."

"We will leave the first day of the holidays."

* * *

Anza returned home to the dungeons from the hospital wing only the evening before Severus was planning on making his trip to Elphick with Hermione. His daughter's return was not marked with much ceremony. He knew that she would want her release from the infirmary to be as quiet as possible. Regardless of the many quite public events and trials that had taken place in her life from the moment she made the decision to return to the land of her birth, Anza was an immensely private person. Her extreme shyness, especially around those of her own age, had gradually lessened, but it remained a constant struggle for the young woman. With her public humiliation at the hands of her former fiancé and the rumors behind her mysterious hospitalization, Anza was more than ready to slip from the school's view into the relative sanctuary of her father's rooms.

"Where is Basmus?" Anza inquired the moment she entered the sitting room. "I've missed him. Greg said he would try to smuggle him into the hospital wing, but Basmus would not let him."

His daughter's cat knew how to hold a grudge. Several months earlier Gregory Goyle had unwittingly seated himself on a slumbering feline. Basmus had yet to forgive him the infraction.

"He has stayed mainly in your room since…" Severus began. "…Since you have been in hospital. I am certain you will find him there."

Once Anza exited the room Severus found himself releasing a breath he had not realized he had been holding. Being in her presence was difficult to say the least. The traumatic event of earlier in the month had completely altered the daughter he thought he knew so well. He had been beyond bewildered by her change in behavior. She was quite unlike the young woman she was before the attack. Lucius' brutality turned her into a cold, angry, embittered shell of her former self. It grieved Severus' heart immensely to be around her.

"Give her time, Severus."

Gwendolyn stepped inside the potion professor's rooms as she spoke. Though he found the experience a little easier each time, Severus still found being around his first love quite difficult. How often in the months since she returned to his life had he forgotten that years had passed since they were students and young loves? How often had he wanted to and almost pulled her into his arms as he did when they were young? Too many times for him to be comfortable. She was as if a ghost that walked and talked among the living, indistinguishable from the others. Gwendolyn was the ghost of Severus' past innocence.

"She needs to come to terms with what happened to her. She needs to heal and recover, both physically and emotionally. She will get better," Gwen continued. "In time she may even be the girl we remember."

"Somehow I doubt that she will ever be the same," Severus said little above a whisper.

"Maybe not entirely," she conceded. "But there may be reminders or remnants of her before."

The two old friends fell into silence for several long moments. Finally Gwendolyn spoke.

"Give me five minutes alone in a room with that monster and the Ministry will be sending pieces of him back to his precious, Narcissa," she spat out coldly. "For all of the lives he has taken and ruined I want to see him crucified."

"I fear, Gwendolyn, that you will need to stand in line," Severus replied. "You are not the only one who wishes to bring about his death."

"His family's gold cannot keep him from being punished again. That… that is the reason that we _must_ win this war. The light has to win or scum like Malfoy will continue to rule the world. Our children and God willing, our future grandchildren, deserve to live in a world without fear of the Malfoys and others like them."

She quietly excused herself from the room, leaving her thoughts and opinions behind her for Severus to mull over. How much better would the world actually be if Lucius Malfoy was not in it? This was not the first evening that that particular question crossed Severus' mind. If only he could go back in time and kill the right Malfoy…

"With ifs a flea could carry an elephant," he whispered, remembering the words his sister used to say to him.

He could wish all he wanted that he could change the past, but the fact of the matter was, it was impossible without breaking a thousand Ministry of Magic decrees and laws. His daughter did not need wishes from her father… she needed strength, protection and comfort. She needed peace of mind. She needed to know the fate of the young wizard that she still loved. If Charlie Weasley were still alive, he would do everything in his power to find him. And if he was not alive, as he feared, Anza needed closure. She needed to know that there was no possibility of his return and that any efforts to force information about his whereabouts from dark wizards were dangerous and unnecessary.

He entered his bedroom and crossed the space to the door leading to his daughter's room. The door was open slightly. From the crack he could see his daughter was fast asleep in her own bed. Basmus was curled up next to her protectively, but also fast asleep. The overweight animal often fell asleep on guard duty. With a silent flick of his wand, Severus turned out the lights in his Anza's room. He closed the door, but on second thought pushed it back open a fracture. He wanted to hear his daughter's breathing from his own room. He was not quite ready to be completely separated from her.

Severus extinguished all the lights in the sitting room before he prepared himself for bed. He had a long day of traveling ahead of him the next day. There was some trepidation on his part at what exactly he would find in Elphick or even what he might not find. Despite the worries and possible scenarios running through his overworked mind, the professor was able to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Blistering cold gusts of wind slapped the potions professor in the face as he trekked across the snow-laden Hogwarts' grounds the next morning. He welcomed the numbness he was beginning to feel in his limbs. At least he was feeling something. The conversation he had with his daughter only moments before he left the dungeons to walk to the meeting place he promised to meet Miss Granger at left him feeling quite detached from reality. Severus wondered if there would ever come a time in his life when he did not feel unnerved by his daughter's Seeing ability.

"When you arrive in Elphick be sure you stay at the Noyorta Inn," Anza announced as she entered the sitting room. Severus was gathering some supplies he thought he might need on his trip. It was still quite early. He had not yet expected her to wake up, let alone make it known that she was aware he was headed to her old hometown. "Scarab will cheat you more than Noyorta will."

He did not know what to say to his daughter.

"And be careful when you go to the caves," she continued. "They are all cloaked magically to keep intruders out… and it can be very slippery in winter."

"Anza… what… where is this coming from?" He asked, confused.

"Honestly, Father." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "Divination is not as imprecise as Professor McGonagall believes it to be. I saw you headed to Elphick in my crystal ball this morning."

"Did it show you why?" He did not want her to get her hopes up that they would actually find Charlie.

"I assume it has to do with some mission for the Order… something Professor Dumbledore asked you to do."

"Right…"

"Be careful."

Anza threw her arms around her father's midsection… the first sign of affection that she had shown towards him since her attack. Almost as quickly as she had changed to almost the girl he remembered, the stranger was back in her place. She stepped back from him, her face an impassive mask.

"Oh, and Father," she continued again. "Help is going to come from an unexpected source. Don't turn him away just because of your personal feelings. Swallow your pride."

Yes, Severus highly doubted there would come a time in his life when his daughter's crystal ball predictions did not disturb him. He had, though he was loath to admit it, come to respect at least parts of Divination in the last few years. Certainly his daughter had proven time and again that Seers do exist. Not every one was like Sibyll Trelawny, the poor old fraud.

The wards around the perimeter of the grounds tickled his neck as he passed through. There was always a bit of hesitation in him when he had to exit the safety of the school grounds. He had not forgotten the experience only a short time earlier of Lucius' ambush. If Dolohov had not taken the bait and if Dumbledore did not know everything that seemed to happen… he shook his head to banish the negative thoughts. There was enough to fray his already frayed nerves without worrying about his personal safety. His priority had to be Anza. It always had to be Anza.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would actually show up."

Hermione Granger's quiet voice brought Severus back to reality. He was not even aware that his feet had carried him so far.

"I was delayed," he replied tersely.

He spoke the truth. His unnerving conversation with his daughter made him at least ten minutes late. As someone who was known for his punctuality, it was understandable that Miss Granger wondered if he would actually go through with the plan he obviously did not like.

"Are we apparating the entire distance to Elphick?" Hermione asked. She seemed nervous about the prospect of a journey so far. Though she was more than capable of Apparating and had indeed been given a high mark when she took her license test, Miss Granger did not think she was ready to cross a large body of water.

"No, of course not," Severus assured her. "Even I would not feel confident enough in my abilities to Apparate that far. We are going to the coast where we will hail a ferry to take us."

"What kind of ferry? Muggle?"

He was annoyed with her question.

"How long have you been living in our world, Miss Granger?" She did not answer, so he continued. "Similar to the Knight Bus, there is a ferry that witches and wizards can hail on the coast. It will take us directly to Elphick. Do you feel confident that you can Apparate to the coast without trouble?"

Hermione looked back at him indignantly. How dare he ask such a question?

"Of course I can make it without trouble," she spat back, her annoyance palpable.

"I will be forced to leave you behind if you splinch yourself."

If looks could kill… Severus Snape would be dead at least twelve times. Before he had a chance to say something else disparaging, Hermione disapparated with a pop. All at once finding himself quite nervous that some harm would befall the young witch or that she had gone to the wrong place, Severus felt that upsetting sensation of feeling as if he was being shot through a drinking straw. When the world came back into focus and he had arrived at his intended destination, Severus found Miss Granger waiting for him. She had indeed arrived at the right place and… and summoned the ferry she did not even know existed until a few minutes before. He had to admit that she was resourceful.

The ferry that would take the strange couple to Elphick had one very strict rule that had to be abided by under all circumstances. To prevent the possible seasickness of its passengers, each witch or wizard stepping aboard was placed in a deep, enchanted sleep until they arrived at their destination. For this Severus was immensely grateful. Under ordinary state of affairs he did not like being put into deep sleeps in case of there being some emergency he was unable to quickly respond to. This day, however, he considered the enchantment a small favor. What on earth would he have to discuss with Miss Granger the entire journey there? At least asleep he would not have to be social.

"Destination?" A pockmarked, elderly wizard grunted when Severus and Hermione approached the ferry.

"The Elphick settlement in Belgium," the professor promptly responded.

"Of course."

Severus did not like the way the wizard leered at Hermione or the way he smirked when he heard the destination. Was he the only one who did not know about Elphick's reputation of a playground for illicit affairs? He was not entirely sure he would be able to make it through this plan of Miss Granger's. There seemed to be too many disturbing complications.

* * *

The couple arrived in Elphick around eight that evening. Severus awoke from the enchanted sleep feeling more rested than he had for a very long time. He was almost thankful that he was taking this trip. A good night's rest was hard to come by in their times.

"This is where Anza grew up?" Hermione said aloud as they exited the ferry. "Wow… it is not exactly what I expected."

No, indeed, it was not what Severus expected either. Upon hearing how _dodgy_ Elphick was, he naturally assumed it to be similar to Knockturn Alley or the part of Hogsmeade that students never journeyed into. He was not at all prepared for what he saw. Elphick already had the feeling that Lord Voldemort had succeeded in his quest to rule the wizarding world. It was dark and creepy. There were indeed hags and fugitive criminals walking freely down the street as Charlie Weasley had described sitting at his mother's kitchen table so many months before. Dark Magic items that even Borgin and Burkes would not risk selling in their backroom, hung outside of the one grimy shop for all the world to see.

This was certainly not a place for children to grow up in. All at once a surge of anger filled the father. This was where his precious Anza was reared? This was the place his ex-wife felt was suitable to raise a child in? It seemed no wonder that his daughter knew the differences between two illegal pain curses and how to combat their after-effects. It did not surprise him at all simply walking down the main street. Marina was no better than a damned dung beetle when it came to mothering.

They easily found the Noyorta Inn that Anza had suggested. It was a decrepit building that smelled vaguely of rotted cheese and dragon's breath. Severus did not like it at all, but somehow doubted he would be able to find better accommodations in the settlement. A one-eyed wizard with rotting teeth, quite the picture of Elphick in general, greeted the two as they entered the Inn.

"Good evening," the keeper said in a raspy voice.

"We require two rooms," Severus responded sharply.

The innkeeper smiled greedily at the two patrons. His eye lingered on Hermione for longer than Severus was comfortable with. He felt his wand hand begin to itch. But with a sinister grin to the professor, the wizard tossed two keys onto the counter.

"Check out is eleven a.m.," the innkeeper called after the two as they began to ascend the rickety stairs to the guestrooms above.

Severus handed Miss Granger one of the keys to the rooms. He noticed that they were assigned rooms 11 and 12. Knowing that his student and traveling companion would be next door to him calmed his nerves considerably. If there was trouble, which he seemed to have no doubt there would be, Hermione would only be a few steps from him. When they reached their respective doors, Severus turned to his student.

"Settle into your room, Miss Granger," he said. "We will meet in half an hour to have dinner and discuss our next move."

She silently nodded her understanding. Severus found the lock easy to maneuver once he turned his key. Pushing open the door to his room he was surprised at the cleanliness of the space. No doubt seeing the rest of the establishment made him a bit concerned about the kind of lodging he would be forced to sleep in. He was not so much concerned for himself; he had often slept in filth and slime while on some task for the Dark Lord or for the Order. It was for Miss Granger that he was concerned. Something told him that she was quite unused to getting too dirty. Filth, it seemed, was something that they were not going to easily distance themselves from in Elphick. It was everywhere except apparently in his guest room. He took in his surroundings before fully entering the room. A large bed took up much of the space.

"Uhh, Professor?" The voice came from… within his room?

Severus stepped inside the room completely. Miss Granger was already inside, having apparently entered from another door.

"Miss Granger? Wha…?"

"We have apparently been given a false room," she explained. Hermione pointed towards the door that she had just entered. Both of their guest doors opened into the same room.

"A false room?"

"I would suspect that the innkeeper believes we are here to have an affair," Hermione said, her cheeks beginning to redden in a blush. "This must be the kind of room he gives to those who wish to make it appear that they are not together, but in fact, are."

Severus suddenly became all too aware that there was only one bed in the room… all too _uncomfortably_ aware. This would certainly not do. He felt awkward enough being alone with his student inside the Hogwarts walls for a brief meeting. Sharing a room together was certainly out of the question.

"I will go have a word with the proprietor at once," he announced, as he headed for the door. Severus found that his movement was impaired by a small, but sturdy hand pulling on his arm.

"But Professor Snape," Miss Granger replied. "This is what we are supposed to be here for. The innkeeper believes we are here for our own personal reasons. If you go downstairs and cause a big scene, demanding that we have two legitimately separate rooms, you would certainly raise his suspicions. The last thing we need is someone wondering why we are really here."

_Damn it_. She was right. She seemed to be right almost all of the time. This bit of information was unsettling to him to say the least. Yes, they would have to share this room that seemed to get smaller the longer he stood in it… just as the bed seemed to get larger and more noticeable.

"I will simply sleep on the sofa," Hermione offered.

"No, you may take the bed. I will sleep on the sofa," Severus insisted.

The two stood in their shared room in awkward silence for several long, agonizing moments. Finally, the professor, feeling that since he was older and should therefore be in charge, made a suggestion that they find a pub that was not terribly filthy to have dinner in. To his great relief, his suggestion was agreeable to his student.

"I must admit that I find this settlement rather fascinating," Hermione admitted once they were seated in a booth in a dank pub teeming with _dodgy_ humans and creatures alike. "Anza never described it in quite this much detail. She always left out something."

"Yes, she never described it quite like this to me either," Severus replied, suspiciously poking at the slab of mystery meat that had recently been placed before him. "I suspect she did want to worry her father so. Certainly this is not the ideal place to raise a child."

"If you will excuse me, Professor," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. "Eamon Cullen is standing by the bar. He is giving me a look that says he wishes to speak with me."

Hermione carefully removed herself from the private, corner booth the two had been passing a fairly enjoyable meal together in. Severus watched her actions and movements vigilantly. She casually walked up to stand at the bar next to the young wizard Severus assumed was the Mr. Cullen he had heard so much about. There was something indeed noticeable about the young man. Standing at over six foot and four or five inches, Eamon was easily spotted in a crowd. No doubt if he had been educated within Hogwarts' Castle, Professor Snape would have been annoyed by the number of giggling girls he encountered any moment he was in Mr. Cullen's presence.

Eamon took no time at all to start 'chatting up' the attractive young witch that chose to stand next to him as she ordered herself a drink. Frustrated that at the distance he was sitting Severus could not hear the words spoken, he watched the couple like a hawk eyeing its prey. Hermione played the part of the innocent young woman flattered by the wizard's attention very well… too well. They spoke for several minutes, Hermione occasionally breaking out in polite, coquettish laughter. She returned to the booth with her drink at about the same moment that Severus noticed Eamon Cullen quietly leave the pub.

"We are to finish our meal in the next ten minutes," Hermione whispered into her professor's ear. She was leaning so close to him that he found his palms quite sweaty. "Once we finish we are to go to the coast. There is a path that will take us there at the end of Main Street."

"This is what Mr. Cullen was telling you?" He asked, hoping that the tiny bit of jealousy he heard in his voice was not noticeable to the young woman.

"Yes. Someone will be waiting for us at the coast," she continued, not bothered at all by his interruption. "I am to stay with them while you…"

"I do not like the sound of that. I will not leave you alone with some stranger."

"Eamon swears that the person can be trusted and Sean Wakefield swears Eamon can be trusted with our very lives." She left it at that. "I am to stay with them while you take a path to the caves. Eamon will meet you there. He will take you to the cave he visited that night."

"Why are you not coming with me to the caves?" He still did not like the thought of leaving Miss Granger… Hermione alone. He wanted her where he could see her at all times. Seeing her was the only thing that he believed would bring him assurance and confidence. He certainly hated the thought of leaving her with a stranger in a strange, dangerous place. Anything could happen.

Hermione seemed a little annoyed. Severus was unsure if it was the question he asked or something more. Soon he would learn exactly what it was that was bothering her.

"Eamon believes the caves are too dangerous for me," she spat out, her exasperation palpable. "He fears that something could happen while we are there. He said that he believes I am a capable witch, but seeing as how I have not yet finished school…"

"Perhaps he is right," Severus replied, though he honestly did not like to think that he knew Hermione Granger was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. "If it turns out that Charlie Weasley's death was some elaborate hoax, as sadly I am beginning to wonder more and more each passing day, then it definitely reeks of Marina Velousova. She certainly admires fake deaths."

They both were silent as his mind drifted to the darkest period of his life… the time without his daughter.

"If Marina is somehow involved… then danger is certain to be involved."

"Do you honestly believe that your ex-wife is somehow responsible? Do you not believe that Charlie Weasley actually died that day in Diagon Alley?"

"I do not know what to believe, Hermione." He spoke the truth. "I was there with him for the second explosion. Before it happened I checked his pulse. It was there but very weak. Without proper medical treatment soon he would have died even without the second explosion."

Suddenly all of the professor's beliefs were being called into question. Not once from the moment he woke up in the hospital ward in St. Mungo's did he ever doubt the fact that Charlie Weasley was dead. He was a man who liked facts, and all of the facts seemed to point to his death. He could have closed this issue forever; been forever saddened by his daughter's insistence that the man she loved was not dead. He could have completely moved on, content to never see Charlie Weasley again if… if only he did not consider his ex-wife.

Marina was not exactly what one would call… sane. Something happened to her to turn her into the cold, callous fiend she had become. Severus almost allowed himself to feel sorry for the tragic woman… but then he remembered everything that she had done to him, to his younger brother Sidonius and now to their daughter. That was enough to quell any amount of sympathy he might have had for the sick witch. She had proven time and time again that she would do most anything to injure someone she felt had betrayed her. Was it not she that saw Severus' nightmare on their wedding night and then years later actually created that event down to the tiniest, minute detail? Marina faked Anza's death to break Severus' heart. She took away the one person that truly mattered the most to him. Would she not also do the same to the 'ungrateful, shameful' daughter she had loathed and despised from the first day of Anza's life?

Marina might be talented. She might be a very powerful witch, but there was something that she lacked… creativity. She was not above using the same old, tired formula if it gave her the results she wanted. If she wanted her daughter to suffer, to pay for abandoning her and stealing her gold, pretending to kill Charlie was not out of the question. And for a reason he could not even begin to understand, Marina found fake deaths more appealing than actually murdering someone. Why? Did she believe them to be more painful?

"I will be honest with you, Hermione," he finally said after a brief few moments to himself to think. "The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that Marina had a hand in what happened to Mr. Weasley."

"She faked her death and Anza's death. Do you believe that she did the same to Charlie?"

"I am certainly beginning to wonder. Marina is not exactly like the rest of us. She is a fan of revenge… and finding the most painful means necessary." He explained. "And it would certainly not surprise me if somehow Antonin Dolohov was concerned. He would have a great deal to gain if Charlie Weasley was no longer in Anza's life."

"Could Marina not have a marriage contract drawn up between Dolohov and Anza?" Hermione innocently inquired, obviously unaware of the archaic traditions of some sects of wizarding society.

"No. A marriage contract can only be drawn up by a witch's father. Or in the case of her father being dead, a grandfather, brother or uncle. It always has to be a male."

"Oh… well, if Dolohov was involved it would make a great deal of sense. They would both get exactly what they wanted. Marina would feel vindicated that Anza lost the person she cared for the most in the world… and Dolohov would be free to marry her."

Severus was becoming more and more convinced as each second ticked by that Marina had a hand in Charlie's disappearance. Something told him that not everything was at it seemed. He suddenly found himself glad to be in Elphick investigating this mystery. He wanted to know what happened to Charlie Weasley for his Anza's sake and for the sake of the entire Weasley family. As much as he disliked admitting it, he had come to care for at least _some_ of the members of that extensive clan. And if Charlie was not dead, Molly certainly needed to know. He knew what it was like to fear his child was dead only to find out years later that it was all an elaborate ruse. Once and for all answers needed to be discovered.

"We are going to be late if we do not leave now, sir," Hermione whispered quietly.

Rising from the table first, Severus deposited the amount of money required for the _interesting_ meal the two had eaten. Taking the lead, he made certain that Hermione was close behind him before exiting the pub and out onto the settlement's main street. They had walked about four feet before he felt a slender arm reach around his right arm and grasp it firmly. Shocked by the public display, Severus almost yanked his arm out of Hermione's grasp.

"Stop it," she ordered quietly. "We do not want to look suspicious."

He stopped fidgeting at once. Strangely it did feel quite nice to feel a lady on his arm. Certainly he had had his daughter and his sister-in-law, before her death, of course, on his arm in recent times, but this was decidedly different. Being this close to Hermione Granger would have under ordinary circumstances, at least in his way of thinking, been quite bothersome. Indeed as they carefully walked the dark, cobblestone street towards the pathway to the coast, Severus found himself almost enjoying the sensation… _almost_.

Someone was indeed waiting for them at the coast.

"Viktor?" Hermione whispered aloud yards before they reached him.

For yes, it was undeniably Viktor Krum standing on the edge of the Belgian coast that night… in exactly the place Eamon Cullen had instructed Hermione she was to remain. Suddenly Severus did not like that plan. Why should he leave Miss Granger there alone with the internationally known playboy Quidditch player? He was not even entirely sure of Krum's loyalty. He was the top-student in his year at the Durmstrang Institute. He studied under Karkaroff. Certainly these facts made the potions master wonder about the safety of his student.

"Hermione, Professor Snape," Krum said quietly when they arrived. "Eamon is waiting for you at the end of that path, Professor."

Well, at least he has learned to speak English, Severus thought bitterly. Leaving Miss Granger with Krum was not exactly what he wanted to do. 

"I did not know to expect you here, Mr. Krum," Severus retorted.

"Yes, well, here I am," Krum shot back, obviously irritated by the tone the professor was using. "And Eamon is waiting."

Oh, Severus did not like him. Something about the Bulgarian irked his nerves immeasurably. He required a silent insistence from Hermione that she would be all right without him before he began his journey towards the caves. The air rushing off of the sea was fiercely cold. Severus tightened his outer cloak around him as he skulked up the path. Seeing Krum put him in a foul mood for a reason he was none too aware of. Several times on the way up to the caves, Severus found himself slipping. The area near the caves was indeed just as slippery as his daughter warned him. This night was just getting better and better.

Ahead of him the professor saw the tall form of Eamon Cullen waiting for him. He quickly sped up his pace. The younger wizard was waiting patiently next to a large boulder.

"Welcome, Professor Snape," Eamon greeted, taking the elder by the hand and shaking it firmly. "It is very nice to finally meet you. Anza has told me a great deal about you in letters."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Cullen," Severus tersely replied. "Where is the cave?"

Eamon pushed against the boulder and much like the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ disappeared within. Familiar with magical veils and concealments, Severus wasted no time in following the young man. With a 'lumos' spell to both their wands, the professor followed Mr. Cullen deep into the darkened, dank cave.

"This was the chamber that I believe I saw Mr. Weasley in that night," Eamon announced, stopping inside a rather large open space.

There was nothing left inside to give either of them any indication that Charlie Weasley had indeed been held captive in the caves. Severus was finding this excursion useless to say the very least.

"There is nothing here," Severus stated simply, his annoyed tone evident.

The moment the words left his mouth, Severus' eye caught sight of something in the corner. Perhaps it was coincidence or perhaps it was indeed Mr. Cullen pointing his wand in the direction and shedding some light in it, but a single, threadbare blanket was wadded up in a corner. Feeling an indescribable urge to retrieve the item, Severus crossed to the corner.

"Did you find something, Professor?" Eamon asked calmly.

"Perhaps." Severus reached down to retrieve the blanket.

He felt as if he had been kicked in the stomach. The moment his hand touched the fabric the wind was knocked out of Severus. As he struggled to catch his breath he found himself having some kind of vision. Charlie Weasley was lying on a cot in the cave. Then he was sitting in a chair in some elaborate mansion. Someone was standing next to him… Marina. Charlie was saying something but it was obviously not to her liking because another figure appeared to punch the young dragon tamer harshly in the mouth. It was Antonin Dolohov. Before Severus even had time to register what was happening to him, the vision was over. He dropped the blanket to the ground.

"Charlie Weasley is alive," he said, hardly above a whisper, as breathing was still a bit difficult for him. "He is being held in Marina Velousova's family manor."

What? Where on earth did this revelation come from? He was confused to say the least, but Eamon Cullen did not look disturbed a bit. His face broke out into a large, toothy grin and he laughed.

"She was right!"

Eamon did not stay to explain just what he meant by that comment. Severus soon found himself following the young wizard down the pathway to the coast. His feet could only carry him about half as quickly as the younger. By the time he reached the three waiting for him, the professor's breathing had returned to normal.

"It worked?" Hermione asked, her face lit up with a smile.

"What worked?" Severus was thoroughly confused.

"Hermione had a theory that by simply allowing you to touch something that had been touched by Charlie," Eamon began to explain. "That you would be able to figure out exactly where he was taken."

This was certainly news to Severus. Touching a blanket would give him the knowledge? Just what were they going on about?

"Forgive me, Professor," Hermione began. "But I slipped a leaf from a sheperd's-purse plant into your dinner this evening. The magical properties of that plant are useful in divination. I thought that if eaten, it would enhance your natural divining powers."

She poisoned his food? This was something new indeed. What business did Hermione Granger have of placing unknown plants into his dinner? Untold side effects could take place. Severus would have been quite angry if he was not quite intrigued.

"It was simply a theory I had," she continued to explain. "I thought that if your latent seeing powers were awakened a bit, you might receive some sort of vision or some kind of impression from the blanket. Eamon checked the caves last week. The only thing left was the blanket from Charlie's cot. Did you see something, Professor?"

"Charlie Weasley is in Marina's family home in Russia… and Dolohov was indeed involved in the plot."

* * *

_A/N: Please forgive my tardiness in updating! Between a new baby, a horrid case of writer's block, some unfortunate family events and all of the holidays, it has taken me a long time to finish. I hope it was worth it. The next chapter is already begun… not to worry! I will try my hardest to get it out soon. I am ready for the conclusion of this story.:) Thanks again to all of my readers, whether your review or not. I love to hear what you think of the drivel I write, but I also simply love to see that it is being enjoyed. Thanks again! - Lila_


	38. Chapter ThirtySeven

Chapter Thirty-Seven

The moment the words came out of his mouth, Severus began to doubt their worth. Visions of his daughter's lost love while in a cold, dank cave hidden by magical concealments… It was all too fantastical to trust. And Miss Granger had said something about "latent Seeing abilities"? Preposterous! He was certainly no Seer.

"This cannot be true," he finally said. "There was indeed some magic at work in the caves but I highly doubt what I saw was a true vision."

"Wonderful," Krum muttered under his breath. "Complete waste of time then."

"Of course it was a true vision!" Hermione's insistence was almost convincing.

"Hermione, the wizard said it couldn't be true," Krum reminded her. "Should trust what he says."

The tension between the two men was intense. Sparks of hot magical energy filled the night air with uncomfortable static. Eamon and Hermione shot clandestine glances at one another, each unsure and nervous about how the events were going to unfold. At the moment it looked as if blood was going to be shed and at least one Unforgivable curse was going to be uttered.

"You are a Seer, whether you realize it or not," Hermione stated firmly when the tense silence became too much for her.

"I am not sure I believe that," Severus whispered to her and her alone.

"It's obvious that Anza gets her abilities from you," she replied, equally as quiet.

"How is it obvious?"

"Well, you both have the same eyes, for one. Seers' abilities lie within their eyes."

He was not yet convinced entirely, but her insistence was certainly lowering his resistance to the idea.

"So Charlie is in Russia," Eamon said aloud, his stern voice bringing some assurance to the gathered party. "Now all we have left is to find some way to bring him back."

"What are we going to do?" asked Hermione.

"_You_ are going to do nothing but return to Hogwarts, Miss Granger," Severus replied.

"And you will be joining her there," Krum added.

The almost forgotten tension was suddenly remembered again. The elder of the two wizards moved closer to the younger. Both men were fuming. What had caused such blatant hatred between them? They both knew the truth, but neither would have admitted it.

"Eamon and I will continue from here alone."

"No, I am going with you," Severus was not about to back down. This entire journey and rescue mission was for his daughter's future. Of course he wanted to be an integral part of finding Mr. Weasley.

"You've already done more than enough, Professor Snape," replied Eamon. "More than I even expected."

"Yes, you had your little vision," added Krum sardonically. "Now we'll handle it from here. It might get a little dangerous. Wouldn't want you to get hurt."

Somehow Severus highly doubted the sincerity of that statement.

"As grateful as my daughter and I are for your help in trying to find Mr. Weasley…" Severus began.

"Your daughter?" spat Krum. "I care nothing for your daughter. If this was all about her, I would've said no to helping."

"Then why are you here? As I can see it, you have done nothing to help. I assure you that Miss Granger did not need a babysitter!"

"I am here because of Charlie," Krum admitted.

"Charlie?" Severus was unaware of there being any connection between the two.

"Yes, I believe you know him," Krum was not going to give a simple ire-free answer. "We met when he came to Hogwarts for the TriWizard Tournament. Then we became friends when I was training in Romania. I'm here to find out what happened to him. I care nothing for your daughter. If she is miserable, she brought it upon herself for getting involved with a murderer like Dolohov!"

Krum's new grasp of the English language was infuriating to the professor. He began to miss the days when the Quidditch star could say three sentences and exhaust his entire store of English language knowledge. Yes, Severus had heard that Krum was undergoing intense magical language classes to prepare him for his International tour later that year. He had even considered taking the speed learning courses as well. How often had Severus dreamed of running away to the rainforests of South America? His knowledge of the Spanish and Portuguese languages was limited at best. Of course he had also toyed with the idea of learning Russian. The numerous Howlers Anza received in the Great Hall from her mother piqued his curiosity. It would have been nice to know all of the horrible things that Marina muttered under her breath during their marriage. Or perhaps ignorance is indeed bliss. However, hearing the benefit of such lessons coming out of Krum's mouth did not encourage… only further angered him.

"My daughter's life is none of your concern," Severus answered, his voice warning the young man that it was unwise to discuss Anza any further.

"Your daughter has made quite a name for herself, I must say," replied Krum, ignoring the warning. "Bet her dear old Velousov relatives were first please with her match with Dolohov and then quite furious when she broke it off. As hard as it might be for you to believe it, Eastern European wizarding families don't want to mix with Western Europeans. They believe the West's magic is too diluted with the mixing of Muggles."

Krum was about to step over a line and they all knew it. His personal feelings on mixing blood or of training Muggle-borns were unknown. Those who cared about his feelings made two very distinct camps. There were those that claimed he had no prejudices. Was he not the one who took a Muggle-born to the Yule Ball the year of the TriWizard Tournament? His relationship with Miss Granger and with a number of other witches who were Muggle-born or half-Muggle proved to some of his fans that he loved all people. The reverse attitude came from the other camp. Born into an influential and very old Bulgarian wizarding family, Krum was somewhat of a poster boy for the purebloods. They believed his dalliances with "lesser witches" were simply the act of a young wizard sowing his wild oats. Whatever the case, Viktor Krum was very close to insulting one of the very few people he cared about. Eamon silently stopped him from continuing. No one wanted to contemplate what would happen to Krum by Severus' hand if Hermione was somehow insulted.

"It will be easier for the two of us to continue alone," Eamon began to explain. "We will be met with less suspicion."

"How is that?" Severus was genuinely interested in the plan. Velousovs and Dolohovs were not people to trifle with.

"Viktor's family is well-known to Marina. She has been asking to meet him for a long time, but Viktor has been unavailable. Seems like a good opportunity."

"All right, that makes sense, but what will you be doing, Mr. Cullen?"

"I'm an expert at detecting veils and concealments. Did Anza not mention that?"

"No, she never said anything about that."

"That ability got the four of us, Anza, Sean Wakefield, my younger sister Edana and I, into a lot of trouble growing up. You can imagine there are a great many hidden places in a community like this."

"Yes, I can imagine."

"While Viktor is meeting with Marina, I'll be exploring the estate, looking for Charlie."

"Sounds like a risky endeavor."

"Of course it will be risky!" replied Krum. "That's why you should return to Hogwarts, _professor_."

Hermione gently touched Severus' arm to stop him from pouncing the Bulgarian. With a single look from Hermione, Viktor was calmed and silent. The power the young woman had over the two was unmistakable.

"Thank you very much for your help, Viktor, and to you especially, Eamon," Hermione said, her voice calming all of those gathered at the coast. The electric tension slowly melted away. "Please be very careful in Russia."

"We will," Eamon promised.

"Professor Snape and I are going to head back into the village. If you can find a safe owl, let me know of your progress."

Hermione shook Eamon's outstretched hand and thanked him again. While Severus was thanking Mr. Cullen he found the anger that had been boiling earlier in his stomach to have returned at full power. Krum hugged Miss Granger just a little too tightly to be appropriate.

"We should return to the castle tonight now that we have finished our task," Severus said when the two were yards away from Elphick's main street.

"No," Hermione replied. "We have to stay at least one night."  
"Miss Granger, I do not have to remind you that our being here together alone is highly inappropriate. Spending the night in a hotel room only makes the situation that much worse."

"If we leave without spending the night, the innkeeper might get suspicious. The last thing we need is someone closely examining our visit. Your presence here might get back to Marina. You are not exactly low profile, professor. A great many people know who you are."

She had a point, Severus had to admit. The thought of spending the night alone with Miss Granger in that oh-too-small hotel room made his stomach twist in knots and his palms get all sweaty. This was not how he planned for this trip to Belgium to go.

"Good evening sir. Good evening, miss," the innkeepers greeted as the couple entered his establishment. "The maid has already been upstairs to turn down your _beds_."

"Thank you," Severus curtly responded.

The bed had indeed been turned down, the two found once they both opened their doors. Somehow the simple act of pulling the comforter down to show the whiteness of the sheets made the room seem smaller and the bed seem much bigger.

"I will take the couch," Severus said, highly doubting that he would be able to get a wink of sleep that night.

* * *

Severus found himself in the middle of a dark forest. It was familiar to him though he could not quite understand why. He was unsure of where he was going. Knew only that he had to continue walking forward. Up ahead he could hear voices… whispers at first that grew to normal speaking tones and then to frantic screams. He did not know if he should run into the direction of the voices or run in the opposite direction. What would he find up ahead?

"You shouldn't go any further."

Startled by finding he was not alone, Severus jumped and pulled his wand out, ready to curse a potential enemy. He relaxed when he found the voice belonged to his daughter.

"What's going on there?" he asked, pointing ahead.

"He's finally broken through," Anza replied, her voice taking on an ethereal quality that made her father nervous.

"Who has broken through?"

"The one that must not be named."

"The Dark Lord? Where is he? What is up ahead?"

"Your future."

Her words echoed through the trees as the screams grew louder up ahead. It sounded as if a fierce battle was raging up ahead. If that was his future, shouldn't he be running towards it? Everyone wants to know what lies ahead for them. Despite his daughter's warning to stop and stay where he was, Severus could feel the pull to run towards the fracas grow ever stronger.

"That is not the future you want," Anza calmly announced. Her father was itching to run and she knew it.

"If that is my destiny I have no choice but to go."

Severus turned his back on his daughter. His feet began to move but a deafening clicking sound stopped him in his tracks. He turned back around to find his only child pointing a Muggle firearm at him.

"We make our own destiny, Father."

Everything in Severus' world stopped for a brief moment only to resume again in slow motion. The sound of the gunshot was piercing. He could see the bullet leave the gun headed straight for him. There was nothing to be done. No time to move out of the way of the speeding bullet.

"Anza…."

_Darkness_. Nothing but pure darkness lay ahead of the professor. He had definitely been there before. The fear of the unknown but the expectancy of what he might find up ahead compelled him to move. A tiny prick of light in the far end of what he knew to be a tunnel grew larger as he rushed towards it. He would make it to the end this time. Each time he had been in that place he had woken up before he got to see the secrets that the end of the tunnel held. The words spoken by his daughter echoed through the passage.

"We make our own destiny, Father."

What did his daughter mean?

"We make our own destiny, Father. We make our own destiny, Father. We make our own dest…."

"Professor?"

Another familiar voice drowned out Anza's words.

"Professor? Professor?"

Severus heard the words coming from up ahead of him.

"Professor. Professor!"

He ran towards the sound.

"Professor!"

Bright light hit the wizard's face. Struggling to open his eyes that had become so accustomed to the dark, Severus saw not the end of the tunnel as he expected to see, but the entirely too small room at the Inn in Elphick.

"Good morning, Professor."

Miss Granger was already dressed for the day. By the look of the suitcase on her bed, she was already packed as well.

"Breakfast just arrived," Hermione announced, bustling about the room in a manner that made Severus uneasy. She was obviously not relaxed being in that room alone with her formidable potions master. "We should try to get to the ferry as early as possible."

"Of course."

Neither of them said anything as they chewed on their respective pieces of toast. A silent breakfast passes slowly, they both learned. There was nothing for them to do but stare around at their lodging and occasionally look at their traveling companion. This was done surreptitiously, of course.

"I will settle up the bill," Severus said when the never-ending meal finally came to its close.

He did not like the way that the innkeeper smirked when he came downstairs. This entire trip had been unnerving and uncomfortable for the professor. What he longed for more than anything was to simply sit in front of his sitting room fire with a large book in his lap, listening to his daughter chat on and on about any matter of… Except Anza probably would not be the same. He had almost forgotten about the horrible event that happened only days earlier. Being in Elphick with Miss Granger had almost pushed the thought of Lucius and Anza out of his mind. No, his daughter would not be the loquacious girl she had been, only in the privacy of her father's home, of course.

"Did you enjoy your stay?" the lecherous innkeeper asked in a bemused voice.

"It was satisfactory."

Never, even in all his years as a spy for both the Dark Lord and the Order, was Severus happier to leave a place. Elphick was a place that left a bitter taste in one's mouth. How was it possible that his Anza had been raised in such a place? The scars of such an upbringing must be painful and all too visible. How had he not noticed them in Anza before? Surely she did not come out of the place unscathed.

"Hogwarts," Hermione informed the conductor of the bewitched ferry that was going to take them back.

Once again Severus was more than grateful for the deep, dreamless sleep aboard the ferry. His mind was racing with thoughts he could not control. Knowing that he would not have to spend several hours searching for something to say to Miss Granger also eased his mind. The dream he had had in Elphick was weighing heavily on his mind. His daughter trying to kill him? What on earth could that possibly mean? The deep sleep was exactly what he needed.

He was awake only moments before the ferry stopped at the edge of the coast where he and Miss Granger were to apparate back to Hogwarts. Tipping the conductor of the ferry, he had never been more grateful to be back on familiar land. The two traveling companions apparated to the gates of Hogwarts. Hermione made her excuses to head back to the castle at a much faster pace. Severus was grateful. He needed the time it required to walk across the grounds to clear his mind. Since the day of his daughter's "accident" he found that he needed a great amount of time to prepare himself to be in her presence. Was this how the rest of their lives were going to play out? Would there ever be a time again that he would not have to mentally and emotionally prepare himself for the simple act of being with his daughter? Damn Lucius! The bastard had changed the light in his otherwise dismal life into the one thing he could not understand.

Halfway to the castle he lost his nerve. Anza was inside and he was not quite ready to be around her. He needed to calm down more. Remembering that he needed to replenish his stock of milkweed, Severus turned away from Hogwarts and headed towards the Forbidden Forest. His potions work required stronger weeds than he could find by simply crossing the grounds. At least in the forest he would be certain to have peace and quiet to think. Or so he thought.

"Did you find what you were looking for in Elphick?"

The sound of his daughter's voice behind him caused Severus to jump. He thought he would be alone in the forest.

"Speranza, you should not be in the forest!" he scolded her. She did not seem the least bit upset by his tone.

"It's quiet here," was her simple reply.

"It is also dangerous here," reminded Severus.

"The creatures leave me alone in here. Perhaps Hagrid has been telling stories about what an awful witch I am, and all of them are afraid that I'll blow them up if they get near me."

"You should not be here, especially alone."

"Did you find what you were looking for in Elphick?" Anza repeated her earlier question, ignoring her father.

"I believe so," he replied, knowing full well that the issue of his daughter being alone in the Forbidden Forest was not one that was going to be easily solved that day. "In time we will know for certain."

"Was Hermione a big help?"

"Excuse me?"

"I saw the two of you enter the grounds together," she calmly answered in a bored tone. "Hermione was not here last night for dinner. I just assumed you two were together."

"Yes, she did help. But, Speranza, you must not tell anyone that we left together. I fear that the news might not be taken very well by some."

"Of course. I will be certain that Gwen doesn't find out. She would not be happy about that."

Gwendolyn Wakefield was the last person he wanted to know. She would be in the dungeons in a heartbeat to lecture him about the importance of maintaining a professional relationship with the students. Surely a visit to Elphick with a student that Gwen claimed was in love with the solitary professor would not be taken very well.

"Though I must say I am surprised that you, of all people, Father, would take a girl to Elphick." There was a wicked, but playful smile in Anza's eyes.

"Mine and Miss Granger's presence in Elphick was merely Order business," he tried to assure her.

"You might think you are doing a great job concealing your feelings from the rest of the world, but you're not." The first smile he had seen since before Lucius' attack in the prefects' bathroom spread across Severus' daughter's face. "Hell, I bet even Professor Trelawny would be able to see how much you care for Hermione."

"My feelings for… _Miss Granger?_"

"Take my word for it, Father. Some day you are going to wake up and realize how much you love Hermione."

"And do you honestly think that I love her?"

"Can you honestly stand there and pretend like you don't?"

Severus stood there silently, mulling over what his daughter had just said to him.

"Do you believe that Hermione would make me happy?" It was an honest question that he could not believe he was asking, but one he wanted an honest answer to.

"I do not believe that even if Miss Ursula Albrecht were not doing such a good job of pretending to be Gwendolyn Wakefield, that there would be someone in this world who would make you as happy as Hermione Granger." Anza moved closer to her father and put her arms around his waist. Burying her head in the folds of his robes as she had done as a very small girl, she sighed. "She was made for you, just as you were made for her. We all deserve some happiness in this life, Father. You most of all."

The embrace was over almost as soon as it began. Anza pulled away from her father. She started to walk towards the castle, but stopped to turn around.

"Gwen would tell you to wait until Hermione leaves Hogwarts," she said. "You and I both know that none of us may last another day. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Don't miss your chance with her just because of propriety's sake."

* * *

The brief conversation Severus had with his daughter within the Forbidden Forest occupied a great deal of his thoughts for weeks following. He was still having a hard time coming to terms with Anza's declaration that he did indeed love Hermione Granger and that she was the one woman who would make him happy. Was he to be the last person to know whom he cared for? Uncomfortable in Miss Granger's presence, he spent the remaining winter break avoiding her to great results. Only when lessons resumed was he unable to keep away from her.

Hermione continued to receive reports from Eamon Cullen concerning his and Viktor Krum's progress in locating in Charlie Weasley. Unfortunately, their plan was not as simple as they previously thought. Oh, to be young and idealistic. Mr. Cullen had been able to locate several veiled rooms and even entire wings in the Kurach estate, but none of them contained the answers to Mr. Weasley's whereabouts. Neither of the two young men were discouraged, however. Eamon filled his letters to Hermione with promises and plans for what to do next. If Charlie Weasley was indeed in Marina's keeping, even Severus felt certain that he would be found by Eamon's tenacity.

Anza continued to retreat within herself. A great many of the castle's inhabitants feared what would become of her. Albus Dumbledore used all of his influence as the closest thing she had ever had to a grandfather to try to help. Anza merely shrugged him off and stopped attending the weekly meetings to discuss her independent studies all together. Gwendolyn Wakefield could not reach her. Gregory Goyle grew frustrated enough with her to avoid her for three entire weeks. What that must have done to the young man, Severus did not want to know. Hermione tried. Ron Weasley tried. She was not receptive to anyone. Anza spent hours each day staring into her crystal ball. Severus would have given his very life to understand her.

The war outside the castle walls raged with a ferocity no one affected could recall experiencing before. Deaths were taking place every day on each side. Even those who had been able to stay neutral for so long were beginning to die. Every morning at breakfast in the Great Hall, staff and students alike held their breath as the Ministry's black owls swooped above, official death notices clasped in their claws. Virtually no one was untouched by tragedy. Each day it seemed more and more concerned parents were arriving to take their children home. Fearing a great battle was to ensue on the Hogwarts' grounds, time was taken out of each lesson to practice what the students were to do in that eventuality.

It was in late April, when scarcely half the usual student population was engaged in afternoon lessons that the alarm was sounded. Throughout the castle the stern, unyielding voice of Minerva McGonagall rang.

"Code Red! Code Red!"

Severus believed it only to be another drill. They had practiced that particular plan countless times. He lazily extinguished all of the cauldron fires with a single flick of his wand. His students, equally annoyed with performing this same drill for yet another time, took their time gathering their books together.

"Head to the kitchens immediately," Severus ordered though there was no reason. All of the students ignored his words and headed there on their own.

Feeling frustrated and tired, Severus slipped into his private quarters. Perhaps there was time for a single swill of fire whiskey before he met the other staff members and aurors who were assigned to protect Hogwarts in the Entrance Hall. Just another drill…

"Father!" He was surprised to find his daughter in his private rooms at that hour. She was usually in the greenhouses with Professor Sprout or taking a private lesson with Hagrid. Severus was equally surprised when she embraced him fully for the first time since the December morning he returned from Elphick.

"Anza? What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling great comfort in holding her again. No matter how old she became he would always think of the frightened two year old clasping onto his robes their first day at Hogwarts.

"He's broken through!" Her voice was full of emotion and panic.

"What? Who has broken through?"

"V-Voldemort!"

He understood for yet another moment in his life what it meant for "your blood to run cold".

"He's broken through? This is no drill?"

"Not a drill! Hagrid and I were at the edge of the Forest, not terribly far from the lake when we saw them… there must have been a hundred at least. Hagrid sent his patronus to Professor Dumbledore. Then he told me of a back path to get to the castle unnoticed."

Minerva's words rang through the castle yet again. Her voice was a great deal more urgent, but to keep the students from panicking, she never let on that this Code Red was for real. Severus released his daughter and ran for his personal storeroom.

"Get to the kitchens immediately, Speranza! The house elves have been instructed to use their own powerful form of magic to keep the students safe. You will be protected there."

"No, Father."

Her disobedience was not at all surprising, but for once it truly scared her father.

"To the kitchens… now!"

"No, Father! _Impedimenta_!"

If it had been anyone else in the entire world, Severus would have been prepared. He would have had his wand out and a shielding charm uttered before they were even finished saying the first syllable. Only Anza could catch her father with his guard down.

"I'm sorry, Father," she said, her tone stronger than he had ever heard it. "I hope you can forgive me, but you cannot leave this room."

Anza pulled a small vial out of an inside pocket of her robes. Gently tilting his head back, she emptied the contents into her father's mouth. Powerless to stop the flow, he swallowed.

"I'm sorry, Father."

_Darkness._

* * *

He was back in the damned tunnel. It felt different this time, but there was no mistaking the fact that he had been there before. The air was harder to breathe. What had Anza given him? Oh, if he survived, she was going to be in so much trouble! He stopped moving to take a look at his surroundings. Naturally, in the darkness it was impossible to see anything. He closed his eyes tightly, counted to thirty and opened them again. Usually that was all it took to see the basic outlines in a room. Not this time.

The silence in the tunnel was deafening. It was still and unnerving. What was going on back at Hogwarts? Where was his daughter? Was she running out into the fray in some misguided attempt to be brave or right a wrong? Damn it, she could be impetuous. Remembering that once he had seen light at the end, Severus began to walk ahead. It felt he had been walking for ages before he saw a tiny prick of light up ahead. He hastened his steps.

With each step he took, noise began to fill the previously silent tunnel. It was subtle at first. Voices, footsteps, etc. The further Severus moved down the tunnel, the louder the noises became. The light grew ever larger and closer as the sounds grew even louder. Covering his ears to protect them from the onslaught of screams, explosions and a thousand other noises he could not quite place, Severus hastened his pace. He was determined to reach the end this time. Never before had he been able to see the end, but something in him knew that this would be his chance. One hundred yards from the end, when the light was blinding, the cacophony around him suddenly stopped. The silence returned just as if the noise had never been there.

"What…" Severus was not even sure what question to ask the void. He moved ever closer to the end.

A few sounds returned to the tunnel, but they were each quiet. He stopped walking to focus on each individual resonance. Footsteps… delicate footsteps. Sniffling. A woman sighing. He had to know what was up ahead. He began to run faster than he had ever run in his life.

"Severus?" A voice said above him. That only encouraged his running. "Severus?"

The bright light was only steps away and the voice continued to speak his name. He had to know.

"Severus?"

He stepped into the light. It was too bright to see anything. Severus covered his eyes. When he opened them, he saw a very familiar face above him.

"Severus? You're awake!"

Hermione Granger stood over his bed in the hospital ward. It took him several moments to adjust to the brightness of the room. Obviously it was midday and none of the curtains were drawn in the massive chamber.

"Hermione?"

A smile brighter than the room spread across her weary face. Severus could see tears in the corner of her eyes. An indescribable urge to kill whatever it was that was making her cry filled the professor. Forgetting the formality that was always present between the teacher and his student, Severus reached up to touch her face. They were both surprised by the contact, but neither said a word. Hermione closed her eyes and the tears that were barely noticeable before began to flow freely. They were silent for several minutes.

"I was beginning to fear that you would never wake up," Hermione whispered, her voice a tiny whisper filled with choking tears.

"Shh," he tried to comfort her, but the feeling was strange. Never had he felt so free to touch another's face and hair. She calmed immediately and remembering himself, Severus let his hand drop to his bed. "How long was I asleep?"

"Over a week," Hermione answered, also remembering herself. She wiped her tears from her eyes, got up from her seated place on the side of his bed and moved to the bedside chair. "You were given a rather heavy dose of the 'Draught of the Living Death'. Madam Pomfrey and I were concerned that because Anza brewed the potion herself that there might be adverse effects. I have been watching your symptoms whenever time has allowed. Poppy has needed me desperately in the ward. There have been a great many in need."

"What happened?"

Hermione took a deep breath before she began.

"Voldemort broke through the castle's wards a week ago. Hagrid was able to warn Professor Dumbledore before he and his Death Eaters got too far on to the grounds. Of course you were aware of that. Anza told me where you were and what happened to you before she ran out into the battle."

"Anza?"

"She's fine," Hermione assured him with a small smile. "She locked herself in the Divination tower just as soon as everything was over. She said she would know when you woke up."

"There was a battle?"

"Yes, the last one, thank God. It's over. It's all over."

"What is over?"

"Voldemort is dead. Harry killed him." Her voice was all at once full of pride, but then great sorrow.

"And Mr. Potter?"

Tears returned to her eyes. From the looks of her red eyes, Hermione Granger had not stopped crying for days. Is this how the rest of wizarding Britain was like? What had he missed in his slumber?

"Harry fulfilled the prophecy. He was able to kill Voldemort, but he didn't make it through the first night after the battle. His injuries were too extensive."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Hermione." And he meant it.

"The Ministry was tipped off about the arrival of Voldemort and his troops before even Professor Dumbledore or Hagrid were. They, thankfully, sent a great number of reinforcements. Many of them died, but after several hours of hard fighting, the Death Eaters were defeated. Once Voldemort was dead they didn't have much of a chance."

Severus did not want to ask the question he was going to ask, but he knew he had to.

"Can you tell me who died?"

Hermione sighed heavily. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"Professor Dumbledore died saving Draco Malfoy's life."

He had not expected that.

"Saving Draco?"

"Draco snuck out of the castle with the intent to aid the Death Eaters, but it was too much for him. He changed his mind, tried to run, but there his father was. Lucius wanted to kill his son for his cowardice, but Dumbledore stopped it. Draco was able to return to the safety of the castle, but Dumbledore… was not."

"Minerva? Filius? What happened to the rest of the staff?" He was desperate to know.

"Professor McGonagall is in St. Mungo's, but is expected to recover fully. Professor Flitwick is acting Headmaster until she returns. Professor Sprout and Professor Vector remained in the castle to protect the students. They are fine. Hagrid didn't last much longer than the time it took for him to send his patronus and get Anza to safety."

"Gwen?"

"She is all right. Also at St. Mungo's, but her injuries are not life threatening. Remus is with her. He made it too."

"What about the students?"

"Almost all of the students are fine… except for some of those who snuck out to help. Stupid, bloody fools."

"Who…"

"Neville Longbottom killed Bellatrix Lestrange with his dying breath. Sean Wakefield was there too. He saved Ginny's life only to be hit himself. The mediwizards say he will survive, but he has a long road of recovery ahead. And Ron… trying to be the hero…"

She had to stop speaking for several moments. Her tears told Severus all he needed to know about Mr. Weasley's fate… he had not survived.

"Gregory Goyle?" he asked after he had given her time to compose herself.

"Physically, he's fine. He was a great help to me in the kitchens. The other students listened to him, and he did an excellent job keeping the younger students calm… even in the middle of the fiercest point of the battle. The house elves were able to keep the Death Eaters out of the kitchen, but there were some moments when we were all terrified."

"You said that physically he's fine?"

"Not so much as a scratch on him. When Voldemort died and it was obvious who was going to win, Greg's father slipped away. He apparated home. The Ministry found the bodies of both of Greg's parents a few days ago. Murder – suicide."

_Poor Cordelia_, Severus thought. Of all people she deserved a second chance in life.

"Losses to the Order were relatively low. Only Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt were killed. Everyone else is either in St. Mungo's or got out completely unharmed. We were lucky about that."

"And Anza? Do you know why she force fed me a dangerous sleeping potion?"

"She said she saw your death."

"What?"

"She believed that you were going to die if you were to enter the battle. That is what she explained to Madam Pomfrey. She did it to protect you and to…"

She stopped abruptly as if she was unsure she should continue or not.

"What is it, Hermione? What other reason?"

"Anza was afraid you would stop her from trying to kill Lucius Malfoy."

"Damn right I would stop her!" Of that, there was no question.

"She did though," Hermione quietly responded.

"Did what?"

"Anza's plan to keep you out of the battle obviously worked. You survived and… and she was able to kill Lucius Malfoy."

Severus suddenly felt like a balloon that lost all of its air. His daughter killed Lucius Malfoy? The bastard was dead at her hands? This was too much. How could this possibly be true? Lucius was an immensely powerful wizard. No one with Anza's magical ability would stand a chance against him. Did she try to levitate him and blew him up instead?

"Anza killed Lucius?" Even as he said the words he could not believe them.

"She swore she would and she did. Though I must give her credit for originality. No one, least of all Lucius, expected how she did it."

"How?" He was still trying to process the fact that his daughter killed her attacker and the wizard who had been the bane of her father's existence.

"Muggle firearm. She shot him. Killed him immediately."

Despite himself, Severus could not keep a proud smile from crossing his face. Not only was his daughter able to take care of herself and avenge her wrongs, but she gave Lucius the ultimate insult to his pureblood mentality. She killed him with a Muggle method. It was ingenious.

"Father?"

Just as she had promised, Anza knew when her father woke up. She had been staring into a crystal ball for days.

"Anza?"

Severus had rarely been so glad to see his daughter. Yes, he was upset that she almost poisoned him. That would definitely be a topic for discussion between them in the next few days. At that moment, however, he was simply glad to see her. Forgetting that he was in the hospital ward and therefore still quite weak from his experiences, Anza threw her arms around her father and sobbed. He was only too grateful to have the chance to calm her whimpering form. How many times since December had he longed to have the sobbing Anza back in his life? Here at last it seemed she was back.

"I'm so sorry, Father!" She could hardly speak between choking sobs. "I saw you die. I didn't know what I would do without you."

For the moment, at least, she would not be scolded for almost killing her own father. Severus held her until her sobs calmed and eventually died away completely. She pulled away and he got his first full glance at his daughter. It was almost as if the past few months had not even happened. Did killing Lucius Malfoy bring Anza back to the person she once was? If that were true, what would she be like if Eamon and Krum were able to finally locate Charlie?

"Anza?"

It was certainly a day full of surprises. Standing in the doorway of the infirmary was a rather worn and tired looking Charlie Weasley. It took Anza several moments of staring at the young wizard to register in her mind what she was seeing. She looked at her father imploringly. With a simple gesture of his head, Severus urged his daughter to go to him. Anza jumped up from the bed and rushed towards Charlie. His timing could not have been more perfect if he was in the middle of a movie or play. Mr. Weasley arrived just on cue.

"Charlie!" Anza's voice rang through the otherwise silent infirmary. "I knew it! I knew you were alive."

There was a dramatic first meeting and subsequent embrace that would not have been out of place in any of those syrupy sweet romance novels Severus had confiscated from addlebrained young witches in his many years of teaching. Severus would later learn how Marina kept Charlie Weasley prisoner through mass amounts of sleeping potions. Charlie caught pneumonia in the chilly, dampness of the Belgian cave he spent a great amount of time prisoner in that almost killed him. He still bore the lasting effects from that. Antonin Dolohov tortured the poor dragon-keeper with tales of his Anza. Believing that they were all lies was what kept the man from going insane. It would be hard for him to come to terms with the fact later that some of what Dolohov told him was indeed the truth.

"Everyone said you died, but I couldn't believe it." Anza left her father's embrace to sob in the arms of the wizard she loved and almost lost forever.

Yes, indeed, it felt to Severus like he was stuck watching one of those romances unfold before his very eyes. It would have been almost sickening if he did not know how much his daughter deserved it.

* * *

The potions professor spent the next several days brewing much needed potions for Poppy and spending time with the daughter he finally got back. Anza reverted back to the same young woman she had been before Charlie was brutally taken away from her by her mother and the wizard who claimed to love her. Her experiences had changed her for certain, but for the time being she was enjoying being who she used to be. Severus knew that the day would come soon when she would have to deal with all that happened in Charlie's absence. Surely, she was terrified of what her love would think of her.

Severus was busy brewing yet another healing potion when the door to his dungeon classroom opened. A concerned Charlie Weasley crossed the room with little effort to meet his former professor.

"I was told you wished to see me, Professor?" He was every bit the young man afraid and nervous to be around his girl's father.

"Yes," he replied, charming the wooden spoon in his cauldron to stir on its own. "Anza has been through a great deal since your supposed death."

Charlie's eyes hit the floor. His voice got quieter.

"Yes, I know a little bit of what happened."

"I fear for her, Charlie. I fear what will become of her when she is forced to face all that has happened."

Severus reached into his robe pocket. Pulling out a small, but heavy bag, he placed it in the young man's hand.

"There is an island not far from New Zealand that has been in my family for generations," Severus began to explain. "Though it is not much, there is plenty of peace and quiet. Take Anza there."

"What?" Charlie was shocked by the offer, especially when he realized the bag he held was full of gold galleons.

"Take Anza there," he repeated. "And do not bring her back until you are both ready to face this world again."

His farewell to his daughter the next evening was difficult, but he knew that it was for the best. Charlie was the one person who could take care of his Anza. Severus knew that he would protect her with his very life. He also knew that Mr. Weasley was the one person who could bring his daughter back. That was why he offered the island and the money. He was excited for his daughter, but the parting was still quite hard.

Severus retreated to his private rooms when his goodbyes were said. Molly Weasley was ecstatic to find her son alive, but the pain of losing Ron was difficult to bear. She was grateful to Severus for giving her son this second chance. Severus was grateful to find a brand new bottle of fire whiskey. He had an entire glass and was working on his second when there was a knock at his door.

"Excuse me for intruding, but I was hoping you might have more dittany in your private stores," Hermione explained once he opened the door.

The last thing Hermione needed to be doing was brewing another potion. Her usually slim frame was quickly becoming gaunt from overwork and skipping meals. Her brown eyes carried large, dark circles underneath. She looked as if she were about to fall dead on her feet… and the professor told her so.

"I know, I know," she replied. "But there is just so much to do. Once everything settles down I will take better care of myself."

"Not if you are dead before that happens," he chastised, perhaps a bit too hard. "Would your friends be glad to know that they sacrificed their lives for a peaceful world only to have you kill yourself shortly after?"

His words were harsh, but she needed to hear them. Immediately the exhausted witch broke down into sobs. Her cries were wracking her body so hard that she could hardly stand. Severus helped her inside his living room. She sat down on the couch and the tears continued to flow. Seeing her like that broke his heart. Severus sat next to her on the sofa, put his arms around her and pulled her to him. This simple act only made her cry harder.

Time did not exist as Severus held Hermione close to him. How long she sobbed in his arms was something he would never know. It did not matter to him in the least. He knew that Hermione needed this. She had been bottling up her emotions and grief since the battle ended. The loss of her two best friends was too much for her to hold on to forever. He would hold her until she stopped.

* * *

Severus woke with a painful crick in his neck. The way he had fallen asleep on his sofa was not conducive to a good night's rest. Why was he sitting there? Then the memories of the previous night came back to him. He looked to his side where Hermione had been. She was gone, but the scent of her perfume lingered in the air. Last night had not simply been a dream. A piece of parchment lay on the spot that Miss Granger had spent the night.

_Severus, _

_I went for a walk near the lake. Will you join me when you wake up?_

_Hermione_

He did not have to be asked twice. Severus was out the door and on the grounds before much time passed at all. He walked towards the lake, scanning the landscape for the familiar form. Hermione was nowhere to be found. Quickly remembering that there was a bench hidden behind a tree near the lake, the same bench he retreated to the night he learned of his sister's death, Severus made right for it.

"Severus…" He was still going to have to get used to hearing his former student use his first name. It was oddly pleasant to his ears. "Severus…"

Immediately his danger senses were alarmed. The way her eyes were looking at him, the way she sat on that bench… something was wrong. All too quickly he learned what.

"Lovely of you to join us, Severus." Antonin Dolohov… holding his wand at Hermione. Why had no one thought to find the wizard at the battle's end? Severus had simply assumed he was captured or killed. And now to find that he was not only alive but that Hermione was at his mercy was too much for the professor.

"Beautiful day for a walk, isn't it?" Dolohov's eyes flashed with a menacing insanity that frightened Severus more than anything had ever frightened him before.

"Let her go, Dolohov," Severus pleaded in a stern voice. "She has nothing to do with us."

"I beg to differ, Severus," he continued. "You see, I lost the one person that meant the most to me in this world. _You_ took my Anza away from me."

"She was never yours, Dolohov."

"Oh, but she was! In all the ways that mattered… mind, soul… _body_. She is mine and I want her back."

Dolohov was the most powerful of the three. There was no doubt or question about that truth. Severus was at a loss for what to do. He could see the terror in Hermione's eyes. If he was going to do something, he had to do it fast.

"It's up to you, Severus. Tell me where your daughter is or I kill the Mudblood." Dolohov was serious in his threat. "Your daughter or your lover?"

Severus saw the tears form at the corner of Hermione's eyes. She had been through too much in the past weeks to die at the hands of a madman. His daughter did not need her life threatened by him either. There was no choice. He had to do something. His only advantage was the obvious loss of reason on Dolohov's part.

"You get to decide, Severus. Shouldn't be so hard. Tell me where your daughter is and your filthy lover gets to live."

He had to do something quickly or they would both be dead… and Anza would live life forever on the run. A simple spell from his school years popped into his head. If he was careful, it might just work.

_Sectumsempra_. The spell was silent, but the effects were anything but. The silence surrounding the lake was broken with the piercing shrieks of Dolohov's pain. In the confusion, Hermione had been able to steal his wand away from him. She jumped from the stone bench, the pilfered wand pointed at the form lying on the ground. There was no point. Dolohov was dead.

"Are you all right?" Severus frantically asked. "Did he hurt you?"

"No…" she answered, her eyes not leaving Dolohov's form. "No, he didn't hurt me."

His relief was unspeakable. Severus ignored the man he had just killed. He rushed towards the young woman. His arms were around her waist before he even registered what he was doing. His lips were crushed to hers before he could stop himself.

* * *

"Wait! Wait! You can't leave the story there!" protested Muirgen.

Severus pulled his granddaughter out of his pensieve just after the memory of his first kiss with Hermione. He was slightly amused by her protestations.

"What happened next?" She was too curious for her own good.

"They lived happily ever after," Severus replied. "The next memories are private. If you wish to hear the romantic details of how I wooed and won Miss Granger, you must ask your grandmother. No doubt she will be exceptionally pleased to give you her own account."

"What happened to Aunt Anza?"

He reached above her to a shelf to pull down a photo. The smiling faces of Anza and Charlie waved back. They were dressed in traditional wedding attire of a local tribe they met in the South Pacific.

"I received this a few months after she left. Surely you remember meeting Anza and Charlie a few Christmases ago?"

"Well, I… uhh, sort of do, I guess."

"It's true they travel too often. I must remind her to come visit her dear old Dad more."

"So Uncle Greg isn't really your son? Well, I guess I sort of knew that."

"He is my son in every way but one – blood. To some, that is the most important, but to me, blood means nothing. It is everything else that makes him my son."

"Did you and Grandma wait long before you got married?"

"A year… it was long enough. We moved back into the empty Snape Manor. We were not married two years before I was finally able to open the door to the nursery I had sealed so long ago. When your Aunt Rosaline was born, your grandmother and I opened it together. Then there was Benedick, Lucetta, Viola, Bianca, Olivia and finally, your father Lorenzo. Every Snape since has lived in the nursery… at least for a short time after their birth."

Severus gave his granddaughter a few more minutes to process what she had just learned and to ask important questions before sending her off to bed. It had been a long night.

His wish was to return to bed without waking his wife. She needed her sleep. Carefully and quietly he eased open the door to their bedroom. His mind was open to memories following his journey to his past with his granddaughter. Looking around the elegant, spacious room he had been sharing with his wife for eighty years, he could not help but remember the room as it was while his parents still lived. Cold, forbidding, he always felt chilled looking at his mother's heavy drapes closing out all of the light trying to engulf the room. A fire had to be lit just to keep the air breathable.

Everything about the room was different now. Slight shards of golden early morning light were filling up the window panes. The sunrise was coming, and the lack of heavy drapes made it visible. The harsh, dark colors of his mother's design were gone, replaced by warm tones that made the room feel like a true home, a place where he shared a million memories with his beautiful bride.

This was the room where they shared their fears, speaking long into the night hours. This was the room where they shared their joys, thinking about and discussing their beautiful children and remarkable grandchildren. This was the bed where each of their seven children were conceived and where they were all born. This cold room had been transformed into a home full of great warmth… And the reason was laying still in that very bed.

He had no wish to wake her so he cautiously removed his slippers and returned his wand to the bedside table. Carefully slipping between the covers he found his absence made them grow cold.

"Out for a late night stroll?"

He had, of course, assumed his wife was sleeping.

"Muirgen was having difficulty sleeping," he answered truthfully.

"And were you able to answer her questions?"

Somehow his wife always knew.

"Yes, I believe I did."

He kissed her on her forehead.

"Now go back to sleep my little Know-It-All."

**The End**

_A/N: There it is! I hope you enjoyed it. Wow, it feels strange to finish a story I've been working on for two years. Sorry the end was so long in coming. Thanks to all of my faithful readers. You truly make my day when I open my inbox to find a new review or I see that my story has been added to another community or favorites list. I would love to know what you thought. My mind is already brewing on a potential new story. Look for that in the coming months. Thank you again! - Lila_


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